PSM November 2014 Issue

Windhoek Walvis Bay

Kimberley MaputoLubumbashi

Johannesburg GeorgeHoedspruit

Bloemfontein

Port Elizabeth

Richards Bay

Harare

Lusaka

Gaborone

East LondonDurban

Cape Town

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Investing in the futureMinister Davies on SA’s trade aspirations

Caring for the vulnerable• Promoting the rights

of people with disabilities

• 16 Days of Activism: Protecting women and children

Top TalkWe speak to Minister:• Siyabonga Cwele

Contents November 2014

Regulars

14 Conversations with leaders Minister Rob Davies plugs away at turning the country’s

economy into a major global player

16 Profi les in leadership Chief of the SA Army Lieutenant-General Vusi Masondo

talks war and peace

20 Vital stats Fast facts at your fingertips

21 Upcoming events A look at local and international events for your diary

and information

22 Women in the Public Sector Head of Communications of the Women Ministry Kenosi

Setlhako Machepa is a voice that won’t be silenced

28 Trailblazer Londiwe Ngcobo digs deep as the country’s fi rst female

dredge master

36 Aerial view Public Service and Administration pursues excellence

40 In other news News you need to know when you are on the go

44 International relations President Zuma champions development at the United

Nations General Assembly

14

Public Sector Managerthe MagaZine for PUBLiC seCtor DeCision-MaKers

Publishers: Department of Communications Information Enquiry Service: +27 (0)12 473 0269 Switchboard: +27 (0) 12 473 0000Tshedimosetso House: 1035 Francis Baard Street (corner Festival Street), Hatfi eld, Pretoria Private Bag X745, Pretoria, South Africa, 0001www.gcis.gov.za

Head of Editorial and Production Harold Maloka [email protected]

Content Manager Tyrone Seale [email protected] Managing Editor Dorris Simpson [email protected]

News Editor Irene Naidoo

Copy Editors Ongezwa Manyathi Irene Naidoo Contributors Albert Pule Noluthando Mkhize Neo Semono Chris Bathembu Irene Naidoo Gabi Khumalo Amukelani Chauke Maselaelo Seshotli Ursula Graaff Zama Mthethwa

GCIS Photographic Unit Elmond Jiyane Ntswe Mokoena Siyabulela Duda Kopano Tlape Busisiwe Malungwane Linda Mthombeni

Senior Designer Tendai Gonese

Production Assistant Mduduzi Tshabangu Advertising Sales, Distribution and Subscriptions

Top Media & Communications (Pty) Ltd Tel: 086 000 9590 [email protected] www.topco.co.za

CEO Ralf Fletcher

Marketing & Sales Director Karla Fletcher

National Project Manager Nardine Nelson Tel: +27 (0)82 739 3932 [email protected]

Advertising Tel +27 (0)86 000 9590

Subscriptions and Distribution Aziza Banderker [email protected]

Traffi c Manager Jodie Kallis [email protected]

-------------------------------------------Acting Director-General Donald LiphokoDeputy Director-General:Corporate Services Phumla WilliamsDeputy Director-General: Intergovernmental Coordination & Stakeholder Management Nebo LegoabeDeputy Director-General: Content Processing & Dissemination Harold MalokaChief Financial Offi cer Zwelinjani Momeka-----------------------------------------------© Copyright: Department of CommunicationsPrinted by Associated Printing

Public Sector Manager • November 2014

Do you believe it takes a nation to raise a child?

Raise Your Hand is an ongoing SABC initi ati ve that calls on all South Africans to take part in the educati on of our country’s children. Based on the premise that each of us can make a diff erence in our own communiti es, no matt er how small and once that acti on gathers momentum, we improve our country’s outlook, one future leader at a ti me. Maybe it is donati ng books. Or devoti ng a few hours a month to someone who needs help understanding something you grasped easily. Maybe it’s painti ng a blackboard or fi xing part of a broken school bus. There are thousands of ways to help, not all of them academic, but all invaluable. Please do what you can and share it on facebook or on twitt er using #raiseyourhand and your eff orts could be featured on SABC radio or TV.

Visit raiseyourhand.co.za for more ideas on how you can get involved.Visit our facebook page, www.Facebook.com/RaiseYourHandSA. You can also contact us on email address, [email protected]

Features

48 Provincial focus KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Belinda Scott puts the

brakes on excessive spending

52 Public Sector Manager Forum Limpopo MEC of Sports, Arts and Culture Nandi

Ndalane is on a mission to build more libraries in the province

86 Financial fi tness Staying safe with your personal 'treasury'

87 Public Sector appointments Who's new on Persal

91 Book Reviews Page through new insights on leadership

Lifestyle34 Food and wine Secret Jozi Chef Paul Maciel reveals all

88 Grooming and style Fashion is in Hangwani Nengovhela’s blood

90 Health and well-being What you need to know about diabetes

92 Travel Up close with the Big Five at the Kruger National Park

94 Car reviews Jaguar XE and Land Rover’s Discovery Sport get pulses

racing

97 Nice-to-haves Must-have items for the man on the go

40

72 Taking stock of departments’ performance Management Performance Assessment Tool shows

improvement in how government organises itself

76 Industrial Development Zones Government zones in on job creation and investment

78 Transparency and accountability key to an improved Public Service

An accountable and transparent Public Service is needed to improve the lives of South Africans, says Public Service Commission Chairperson Ben Mthembu

80 Space science and technology the way of the future South Africa's eff orts to improve the competitiveness of

the economy and citizens’ quality of life are out of this world

84 Financial Disclosure Framework compliance Do you have anything to declare?

54 Government embraces the “internet of things” The Public Service moves with the times as it sets its sights on going digital

58 Celebrating 20 years of the rights of people with

disabilities National Disability Rights Awareness Month puts

the spotlight on SA’s eff orts to promote the rights of people with disabilities

60 Back to basics for local government Presidential Local Government Summit urges

improved service delivery

66 Take a stand against violence 16 Days of Activism highlights the need to safeguard

women and children

68 Thabong Police Station lives up to its name Thabong Police Station is the cream of the crop at

the South African Police Service’s Annual National Excellence Awards

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Message froM the Minister

It is an exciting time for South Africa following the Operation

Phakisa open day on the ocean economy. Operation Phakisa

(a Sotho phrase for “hurry up”) is modelled on the success of

the Malaysian “Big Fast Results” methodology that was used to

spur that country’s economic transformation and address na-

tional priorities such as poverty and crime. The approach entails

meeting with stakeholders for detailed and practical planning,

setting clear targets, tracking

of progress and making the

results public.

Through Operation Phakisa

we leapfrog what could have

otherwise become a cumber-

some and drawn out process.

Moreover, it demonstrates

our commitment to use

international best practice

to build a better life for all,

especially the poor and the

working.

Recently South Africa wit-

nessed the unveiling of de-

tailed plans by President Ja-

cob Zuma for the country to

explore our oceans to grow

the economy.

Today, more than ever, the

oceans are big business and

have become a growth point

for a variety of industries in-

cluding fishing, marine transport, tourism and even electricity

generation to name but a few.

The ocean economy is part of government’s commitment to

radical transformation to move South Africa forward and a tan-

gible effort to address the triple challenge of poverty, unemploy-

ment and inequality.

Teams comprising government, labour, business

and academia worked in Delivery Laboratories over

six weeks since July this year to develop the plans.

They explored opportunities in marine transport and

manufacturing; offshore oil and gas exploration; aq-

uaculture as well as marine protection services and

ocean governance.

President Jacob Zuma said: “The

initiatives arising out of this hard

work are expected to increase

the ocean economy’s GDP con-

tribution by more than R20 bil-

lion by 2019.”

Tapping into the potential of

the ocean economy is the first

phase of Operation Phakisa, our

national initiative to implement

policies and programmes better,

faster and more effectively.

South Africa is blessed with a

3 924 km coastline; we are

uniquely bordered by two

oceans along the east, south

and west extremes of the coun-

try.

The ocean economy has the

potential to contribute R177

billion to the gross domestic

product and create just over

one million jobs by 2033.

Eighteen initiatives have so far been developed to

boost our marine transport and manufacturing sector,

which among others include establishing a National

Shipping Company in partnership with South Korea.

We will expand our port capacity for repair work of

oil ships in transit along our coastline and oil rigs in

SA to gain from ocean economy


our marine territory. The use of more local components for ship

building will support our local manufacturing industry.

Increasing the capacity for ship repairs at Richards Bay harbour

will create approximately 200 direct jobs while the use of more

South African ships to export minerals will create an additional

estimated 4 000 direct jobs.

Eleven initiatives have been identified

in the Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration

sector. Approximately 9 billion barrels

of oil lie along our coast and adjoining

waters - equivalent to 40 years of oil

consumption in the country.

Thirty wells have been targeted for ex-

ploration over the next 10 years, which

could ultimately lead to the production

of 370 000 barrels of oil and gas a day

over the next 20 years.

Government will continue to play a

facilitative role by providing the legisla-

tive framework governing offshore oil

and gas and set up a “one-stop shop” within the Department of

Mineral Resources to streamline this sector.

Government’s bold decision to optimise the ocean economy

within the confines of marine ecology will position the aquacul-

ture sector to support rural development, especially for margin-

alised coastal communities.

It will lead to 24 new projects across the country by 2019 and

boost revenue of the sector from R500 million today to almost

R1,4 billion in 2019.

An Inter-Departmental Authorisations Committee is

proposed to co-ordinate aquaculture applications and

approvals. It will aim to reduce the current processing

time by 73 per cent, from 890 days to 240 days in future.

The second phase of Operation Phakisa started on

13 October 2014 and will focus on

improving the quality of service in

the public health sector.

“Work streams are already hard at

work in Gauteng up to a six- week

period to uncover what will entail

the ideal, effective clinic in our

health system. Delivery plans will be

released to the public on comple-

tion of the exploratory phase,” said

President Zuma.

The result will help us overhaul

our primary healthcare system by

effectively addressing weaknesses

and ensuring sustained improvements in the quality

of services.

We are confident that through Operation Phakisa we

will achieve our 2030 targets as set out in the National

Development Plan and together move South Africa

forward.

* Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi.

“Work streams are already

hard at work in Gauteng

up to a six- week period

to uncover what will entail

the ideal, effective clinic in

our health system. Delivery

plans will be released to the

public on completion of the

exploratory phase,” said

President Zuma.

President Jacob Zuma seen here with Minister Jeff Radebe, Environment Affairs Minister Edna Molewa and Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi at the release of Ocean Economy delivery plans during the Operation Phakisa Open Day at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC in Durban.

Public Sector Manager • November 2014 7

T H E T R A N S P O R T EDUCATION TRAINING AUTHORITYTHE BACKBONE OF TRANSPORT TRAINING

Vision To be at the heart of skills innovation in the transport sector

Mission We provide an innovative quality assurance and skills development framework by our motivated competent people, in a cost effective manner to exceed stakeholder service level agreements and requirements.

Driving ForceTogether with enthusiasm and trust we accelerate and advance skills development.

Skills Development and Learning Programmes

The Skills Development and Learning Programmes Unit is responsible for the development, implementation, alignment to the Sector Skills Plan and maintenance of TETA Strategic and Annual Performance Plans.

SD & LP planning is informed by the SSP and Workplace Skills Plans (WSPs). The WSPs provide a growth strategy, profile and aggregate skill plans of the Transport sector.

The unit is also responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of training programmes and policies

The Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA)

TETA is tasked with the responsibility of education, training and skills development in the Transport Sector.

Taking cognisance of the pivotal role transport plays in the economic and social development of the country as a whole and the changes that are happening globally, TETA has consciously positioned itself as the vanguard of innovation in human resource development. TETA has appropriately envisioned itself to be at the heart of skills innovation in the Transport Sector. This vision calls upon TETA to focus itself on global cutting-edge methods and technologies in human resource development.

Pursuant to this TETA will continue to benchmark its programmes against the international best practice alongside its partners, universities, TVET colleges, private providers and all other relevant institutions.

Transport Sector Segmentation Summary

The Transport Sector is vast in its scope and comprises diversesub sectors. TETA has, in the main, aligned its Business Units according to these sub sectors, TETA Business Units service the following sub sectors:

Aerospace, Freight Handling, Forwarding and Clearing, Mariti me, Road Freight, Road Passenger, Rail and Taxi.

Through direct intervention and coordinati on, each Business Unit focuses on the needs of the constituent sub sector with regards to levy disbursement for mandatory and discretionary grants, skills development interventions, stakeholder management, programme monitoring and all other attendant activities.

Being at the forefront of the Transport Sector skills needs, TETA plays a pivotal role in qualification development, research and quality assurance.

Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA)

TETA is one of the SETAs that are Development Quality Partners (DQP) as well as the Quality assurance Partner (QAP) of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).

The ETQA unit is responsible for qualification development and quality assurance in line with the South

African Quality Assurance (SAQA) and QCTO criteria. The unit guarantees the quality of skills delivery, evaluation and monitoring of training activities within the Transport Sector to promote and maintain excellent service to all.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Programmes Monitoring and Evaluation at TETA has adopted the Monitoring & Evaluation framework that is consistent with the Government Wide Monitoring & Evaluation Policy Framework and Treasury regulations.

The aim of the TETA M&E framework is to establish a unifi ed, coherent and integrated framework for monitoring and evaluati on of performance and service delivery within the organisati on. The primary focus is on the performance and impact of TETA and its stakeholders on all programmes and intervent ons.

Research and Knowledge

The Research and Knowledge unit was established to collect and consolidate labour market informati on that will provide input for the development and conti nual maintenance of the Transport Sector Skills Plan.

In pursuit of TETA mandate, Research and Knowledge unit hasdeveloped appropriate strategies, among which are the following:• Establishing baseline benchmarks;• Establish a Research Agenda;• Identify strategies for strengthening TETA skilling programmes;• Identify needs and gaps on Skills Development issues;• Contribute to the establishment of a functi onal Management Information System (MIS)

For further information about TETA and its services:

Visit uswww.teta.org.za

Email us [email protected]

Connect with us on:https://www.facebook.com/Transport.Educati on.Training.Authority

Call us on011577 7000 – Gauteng021 531 3064 – Western Cape031 301 9614 – Kwa-Zulu Natal

It was the preeminent Indian independence leader, patriot and hu-

manist Mahatma Gandhi who wrote: “The best way to fi nd yourself

is to lose yourself in the service of others”.

A century after Gandhi left South Africa for India, these words

still ring true as we affi rm our own commitment to serving the

needs of our citizens.

Lest we forget, the Bill of Rights in our Constitution calls on

each of us to deliver services to

the citizenry. If you are not serving

the customer directly, your job is to

serve frontline staff that are. On the

cusp of the fi fth democratic term,

we have been gifted with the op-

portunity for introspection, to truly

improve service delivery by hon-

estly evaluating our current service delivery practices, and better

integrating citizens into the service delivery process.

Much has been done in developing an evaluative toolkit to assist

Public Service managers achieve our mission of building a devel-

opmental state that is biased to the needs of the majority of our

population - those citizens most in need of government services.

As you set out each day to move South Africa forward, your service

delivery dashboard would be incomplete if it did not integrate

indicators from a few of our best practice tools such as:

• The Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) – our frame-

work of standards and indicators of good practice that

promote a common understanding of good Public

Sector management practice. These enable manag-

ers to test their own practice against and identify

management practice improvements that will im-

prove service delivery.

• The Public Service Commission Citizen Satisfaction

Surveys – sector based assessment instruments

measuring consumer perceptions of service quality.

These identify the drivers of citizen satisfaction that

inform overall sector performance perception.

• The Service Charter – our social contract,

setting out our roles and responsibilities in

improving performance, enhancing and fast

tracking the delivery of services to improve

the lives of our people.

All of these tools are based on

improving management practices to advance service

delivery through benchmarking against successful im-

plementation.

In so far as these tools describe the key strategy ele-

ments and activities that relate to a new service ori-

ented culture, our guiding principles must be founded

in the National Development Plan 2030, which enjoins

us to see to it and assist

so that all life’s enablers

are available to citizens

in a humane way. Its

long-term perspective

both humanises and

harmonises the activi-

ties of departments by

sequencing the medium and short-term plans of gov-

ernment at national, provincial and municipal level.

Our introspection must also ask searching questions

of our individual capacity to lead and drive this new

service ethos.

What practical steps are we taking to retool our skill-

set in preparation to implement the two planning cy-

cles leading up to 2030?

Do we have the right pipeline of talent in our respec-

tive operations to entrench sustainable organisational

alignment to the NDP, given the inherent bias to stasis

in the organisations we manage?

Are our operational structures and practices op-

timised to deliver against a new service delivery

template? How do we prioritise the allocation

of resources in an environment of cost con-

straints?

Through this journey, I ask you to commit to

provide consistently excellent services

to all our citizens, to commit to

continuous learning and self-

improvement, and most

importantly, to share your

successes through this pub-

lication and platforms such

as the PSM Forum to enrich

our collective wisdom.

It’s time for introspection

Message froM the aCting DireCtor-generaL

“I don’t know what your destiny will be,

but one thing I know: the ones among you

who will be really happy are those who

have sought and found how to serve.” –

Albert Schweitzer

Acting Director-General Donald Liphoko.


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Visit us on Facebook to share your thoughts and views:www.facebook.com/PublicSectorManager

@PublicSectorMan

Dear Editor Reading through the September edition of Public Sector Manager

magazine I found myself interested in the article about Sebolaishi

Mabyana, the CEO of the newly opened in Zola-Jabulani hospital

in Soweto.

I was pleased to see that a lady from a rural village in Limpopo

managed to rise against all odds to such a high position.

It inspires me to know that she came from humble beginnings and

worked hard to be where she is today.

The CEO’s story resonates with me because growing up I would

sense the joy from my mother, who is a nurse, when she spoke of her

career and it inspired me to pursue a career in the nursing profession.

Mabyana’s story shows that with the right mind set and attitude

anyone can make something of their lives.

Her comments about nurses having the right attitude towards

patients and how we should show patients care and patience truly

encourages me to do better and also reminds me why I entered

this profession.

I wish her the best in her new appointment and I hope that

people in the profession draw from her optimistic attitude and

care for people in the same manner she speaks of.

Monnye Pasca Motena

Dear Editor First and foremost, thank you for your magazine.

The magazine is informative and really speaks volumes on the work of government and its plans for the country.

I especially enjoyed the September issue of PSM, as it was fi lled with a lot of articles on heritage and the beauty and diversity

of our country. As South Africans we should be proud of our rich heritage. Knowing that government and its people are caring

for it, gives me peace as future generations will be able to value our country and understand why it’s called the rainbow nation.

The article on the World Heritage Sites stood out for me the most. It was informative and highlighted the beauty that South

Africa has to display.

It makes me truly happy to be a part of a country that has come so far in the past 20 years. Thank you again for highlighting

the country in a positive light.

Marisa August, Vanderbijlpark

Letters to the eDitor

We hear We hear We hear you!you!you!Dear Editor

worked hard to be where she is today.

SEPTEMBER 2014

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Heritage Month • ArtsandCulture

craftsaninclusive

SouthAfrica

• Tellyourstory,

empoweranation

Plus: • 2014-2015

Strategic

Framework:

Marchingordersto

moveSAforward

Tourism Month • SATourismCEOThulani

Nzimasetsthescenefor

TourismMonth

•MinisterFaithMuthambi’s

visionforvisits

Power PackWespeaktoMinisters:

• JeffRadebe

• NathiMthethwa

• LynneBrown


Your measure of excellence

The National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA) is mandated to keep, maintain and disseminate the National Measurement Standards and to demonstrate measurement equivalence for South Africa and the region with our main trading partners. In addition, NMISA is responsible for the correct use of the International System of Units (SI) in South Africa and to approve other units outside the SI for local use. The NMISA also performs reference analyses and according to the Measurement Units and Measurement Standards Act (No. 18 of 2006), in a dispute in any SA court, the NMISA result must be accepted as the most correct value.

NMISA is a proud member of the Department of Trade and Industry’s family of Technical Infrastructure (TI) Institutes responsible for the Quality Infrastructure in South Africa. NMISA ensures that the measurement system is in place to protect its citizens, the environment and to promote industrial development, commerce and trade.

Your business needs NMISA:The development of new products, the rendering of services and the successful application of processes require accurate measurement to ensure quality and performance. Internationally acceptable measurement is also required in order to trade successfully.

Measurements also play a fundamental part in:• Creating competitive industry sectors (such as manufacturing and mining);• Assisting Health services (blood pressure, diagnostic radiation, toxicity, etc.)• Food Safety (toxic residues, nutritional value, etc.);• Energy savings and green energies (power and energy, environmental monitoring, etc.)• Law enforcement (alcohol in blood, speed, forensics, etc.).

NMISA Products:Certified Reference Materials: The NMISA produces primary reference gas mixtures (PRGMs) for manufacturers of gas and the calibration of gas analysers, and organic solutions as primary calibrators.

NMISA Services:Calibration: Delivering direct traceability to the national measurement standards, the NMISA serves the high-end calibration laboratories by performing calibrations to the highest accuracy (smallest uncertainty). The NMISA holds accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 for most of the parameters and ranges that it offers calibration services for.Proficiency Testing: The NMISA run proficiency testing schemes for calibration and testing laboratories and for NMIs in Africa.Testing and Chemical Analysis: In some cases the NMISA has the only traceable measurement capability in the country and provides a testing and analytical capability to customers.Reference measurements: In the case of different measurement results for the same analyte from two analytical laboratories, or where clients such as government laboratories require a measurement for a specific legal purpose and need a direct traceability route to the SI, the NMISA performs a reference measurement or a high level analytical service.Certification of reference materials: The NMISA has established a capability to value assign chemical samples and gas mixtures for customers, including purity.Training: The expertise residing in the NMISA staff is an important contribution to the development of a skilled and capable workforce through training in measurement science. Where and when required, the NMISA assists SANAS and the National Laboratory Association (NLA) with training courses and provides technical experts to SANAS Technical Committees and South African National Standards (SANS) Committees. The NMISA employees are also involved as invited lecturers in graduate and post-graduate academic courses.

To find out more about our capabilities and opportunities available for your business please contact: • Tel 012 841 4152 • Fax 012 841 2131 • Email: [email protected]• Website: www.nmisa.org

Writer: Albert PulePhotographer: Anwa Essop ConVersations With the LeaDers

The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) has for

the past 20 years been at the forefront of making it

easy for South Africa to open its trade borders and

take trade to the rest of the world.

Back in the early 90s and the mid-90s, South Africa was

a small player in world trade.

“What has happened since 1994 is that we’ve seen a di-

versification of our trade relations.

“We didn’t even have diplomatic relations with the Peo-

ple’s Republic of China, let alone trade relations, but now

China is our biggest trading partner for both exports and

imports,” says Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Rob Davies.

He believes that South Africa should take advantage of

the solid foundation laid by the fourth administration to

turn the country’s economy into a major global player.

Minister Davies is one of the ministers who returned to the

portfolio that he occupied in the previous administration.

He says this gives him and his team a chance to consolidate

on the work they’ve already done.

“Coming back to this portfolio gives us a chance to continue

the work that we did in the previous administration.

“We launched the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) as our

three year plan and we started those in the first year of the

last administration.”

The dti is the lead department in implementing the IPAP

and Minister Davies says it, with the help of all government

departments, should play a role in ensuring that the policy

action plan is implemented successfully.

Infiltrating the Southern African Development Community

(SADC) market, turning the South African film industry into

the new Nollywood (Nigerian film industry), building relations

between agencies of department and improving South Africa’s

role in the global market are some of the major achievements

scored by South Africa in recent years.

Taking South African products to the SADC region The past 10 years have been characterised by an influx of vari-

ous countries into Africa to trade with the continent.

“The perception of Africa is changing dramatically because

Africa has been growing quite fast. Investors are also recognis-

ing the continent’s ambition.”

In the past two years, the department has increased its ag-

gression in marketing South African companies and their prod-

ucts to the continent with a bias towards the SADC region.

Minister Davies says his department deliberately targeted the

SADC region because there is an appetite for South African

products here, and to put South Africa on the map as a good

trade partner.

“We want to reposition South Africa as the number one trade

destination, especially with the trade in Africa, given that the

other parts of the continent are already industrialising.”

Rob Davies spotting opportunity at every turn

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies says South Africa is open for business.


Since 1994, South Africa has attracted more than

R30 billion in the form of foreign direct investment.

Building a stronger trade relationship with Africa’s biggest economyEarlier this year, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product

(GDP) surpassed that of South Africa making it the

biggest economy on the continent.

Minister Davies says South Africa is willing to work

with Nigeria in a way that will benefit the two coun-

tries.

“I think we are beginning to see the results of this

relationship. Nigeria is developing a motor industry

and they wanted to learn from our industry. We’ve

shared a lot of information with them.”

He adds that the two coun-

tries are in discussions about

South Africa exporting parts to

Nigeria’s motor industry.

“We are looking to sign an

agreement whereby we sup-

ply the components that goes

into the operations taking

place in Nigeria.

“We used to supply them

with cars, now we will be sup-

plying them with kits.”

Another example of South

Africa working with an African country is the rela-

tionship with Ghana.

“We used to supply them with grinding media for

the west African mining industry. Now, after an in-

vestment by a South African company, that grinding

media will be manufactured in Ghana but the input

will be coming from South Africa.”

The company that will invest in Ghana is Scorem-

etal.

Turning South Africa’s film industry into a global playerMinister Davies says his department is on a mission

to turn South Africa’s film industry into a global

player that will compete with the biggest film industry on

the continent, Nigeria's Nollywood.

In September, the dti launched a film incentive for emerging

black film makers. The incentive will provide financial assistance

to qualifying applicants in a form of a rebate of 50 per cent for

the first R6 million of the Qualifying South African Production

Expenditure (QSAPE) and 25 per cent for the remainder.

He says the incentive will give support to emerging filmmak-

ers who were previously not covered under the Film and Tel-

evision Production and Co-Production Incentive programme.

“The film industry, through various engagements and con-

sultations, indicated that the previous scheme and threshold

did not accommodate or support emerging filmmakers.

“The dti has now reduced the threshold and upped the in-

centive in an effort to create many opportunities for people

with low-budget productions for televi-

sion and films. In this way more produc-

tions will be supported than ever before."

Minster Davies emphasised that the

South Africa's film industry needs qual-

ity filmmakers to live up to its reputa-

tion of being a competitive driver of the

economy.

“We’ve seen the film industry grow in

the last few years. In the last administra-

tion we quadrupled the number of films

we supported and the majority of our

incentive goes to our local productions.”

He added that about 65 per cent of the incentive goes to

local productions.

Minister Davies says during recent interaction with produc-

ers in California, they expressed their appreciation of what the

dti was doing for the film industry.

“Many of them are very happy with what they see in South

Africa and they are happy with the incentive programme.”

The dti is also involved in the creation of the Cape Town Film

Studio and financing a film about former President Nelson

Mandela.

The Minister hopes that the film incentive scheme will help

the South African film industry topple the Nigerian film indus-

try from the number one spot in the continent.

“That’s what the incentive is all about,” he says.

“We’ve seen the film

industry grow in the

last few years. In the

last administration, we

quadrupled the number

of films we supported

and the majority of our

incentive goes to our local

productions.”


ProfiLes in LeaDershiPProfiLes in LeaDershiP Writer: Irene NaidooPhotographer: Kopano Tlape

Lieutenant-General Masondo: the fi repower behind SA Army

Two Gripen fi ghter aircraft streak across the sky. As quickly as

they emerge, they are out of sight. The only evidence of their

presence is the deafening explosion as a result of the two

250kg bombs they have just been dropped on the “enemy”.

Minutes later two Hawks drop 180kg bombs on the target. Next

come the rocket-propelled grenades, grenades and machine gun

fi re as soldiers move in on “enemy”.

These are the scenes being played out in Lohatla, Northern Cape,

where the full force of the South African Army is on display during

a training exercise named Operation Seboka.

Seated in his vantage point on Aasvoelkop – a hill at the SA Army

Combat Training Centre - watching the “battle” play out below is

Chief of the SA Army Lieutenant-General Vusi Masondo.

He is a man with enormous responsibilities on his shoulders.

“Being chief of the army is a huge responsibility. The army is the

main component of the SANDF… We have a huge responsibility

to ensure that our soldiers are properly trained because my core

business as chief of the SA Army is to prepare soldiers for deploy-

ment,” he says.

This means providing soldiers with thorough training so that they

can hold their own and minimise the loss of lives when they go into

battle, the Lt-Gen points out.

“I must be able to live with my conscience, knowing that as chief

of the army I’ve done everything to properly equip them so they

don’t unnecessarily lose lives.”

Another of his duties is to mould the character of

young soldiers.

“We have to shape their character and try to build

patriotism. It is only when soldiers are patriotic they

can serve with the necessary passion required.”

SA a country at peaceGiven the peaceful state of the country, some South

Africans might feel that spending money on the army

is unnecessary - a notion Lt-Gen Masondo is quick to

dispel.

“We enjoy peace currently and therefore there’s a feel-

ing that to pump fi nancial resources into the army is

a waste of money given that we have got challenging

socio-economic problems that we should channel the

money into.

“We must understand that even the peace we have

is because of the deterrent eff ect of the defence force.

If we didn’t have a defence force at all, there would be

many opportunists who would attack people. But those

things don’t happen because those elements know that

South Africa has an army that is there day in, day out.”

Questions have also been raised about why South

African soldiers are placing their lives on the line and in

some instances, losing their lives, in confl ict situations


in other countries on the continent.

“South Africa cannot be an island of prosperity in a

sea of poverty and instability. That is one of the reasons

our country is attracting so many immigrants. If we

are successful in stabilising our continent, people will

not feel the need to leave their countries and come

to South Africa and compete with our people for the

scarce resources,” he says.

A strong army dealing with challengesThe SA Army is rated as one of the strongest on the

continent, says Lt-Gen Masondo, but it also not without

challenges.

“Some of the equipment we have is old and to some

extent this poses the risk of loss of life during train-

ing and when we go into a war situation it also places

our soldiers in danger. Even though they are properly

trained, soldiers face the risk that the equipment may

not function as required because of its age.”

Addressing the issue of ageing equipment is proving

to be a challenge for the army, as it juggles its budget.

The budget provides for three areas of expenditure –

capital renewal, which includes renewing equipment,

funds to enable the army to operate and deploy, and

funds to pay soldiers.

“Currently it’s askew; we are spending a huge portion

of the budget on compensating our soldiers by way of

remuneration, which therefore leaves little money to

ensure that we can attend the ageing equipment.”

While acknowledging that the army does not have adequate

financial resources to do its work, the Lt-Gen understands that

government has other pressing needs to address.

He hopes at some stage these demands will be balanced

and budgeted for accordingly.

“The army is a national asset,” the man who heads it up says

proudly.

And heading up this national asset comes with a fair amount

of accountability and tough situations.

Last year South African soldiers who were in the Central Af-

rican Republic (CAR) to train that country’s army came under

attack from the rebels. Thirteen soldiers were killed.

“Those soldiers were youngsters, who had small children,

some were not married. To face, not only their parents, but

their kids and young wives in that moment of grief was not

an easy task.

“It’s a huge responsibility because whenever things go wrong

I’m accountable not only to my Minister and the commander-

in-chief but also to the nation,” says the father of three.

Maintaining stability in AfricaHe cites the army’s peacekeeping mission in Burundi as one of

its most notable achievements over the past 20 years.

“At the time many people felt we were going into mission

impossible and there was no way we would succeed in sta-

bilising the country but it did stabilise and was able to hold

elections. It is one of the great achievements of the army.” >>


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The WIL concept is the most component of our youth job creation initiatives as it focuses on creating learner placement channels whereby unemployed learners, semi-qualified learners, and unemployed youth have the opportunity to gain valuable workplace experience in reputable companies, organisations, and departments while furthering their vocational studies on the job.

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ProfiLes in LeaDershiP

The SA Army has also been involved in peace missions in

the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan.

“We have also been training the armies of other countries.

In the DRC we trained more than five battalions. Those forces

are now operating together with the South African soldiers

and equipping themselves very well in battle, which means

the level of our training remains very good.”

On the home front, the army has continued to come to the

rescue of people in remote and rural areas during flooding,

reconstructed bridges that have been washed away and

helped citizens who faced

difficulty when it snowed.

Nothing brings Lt-Gen Ma-

sondo more joy than seeing

soldiers, who have benefited

from good training, carrying

out their functions in a war

situation.

“The army and defence force is about fighting wars. If the

training does not give soldiers the confidence to go to battle

and fight … then as chief of the army I’m failing in my job.”

Keeping soldiers motivated and disciplinedLt-Gen Masondo and his leadership team strive to instil a

sense of patriotism in the soldiers under their command.

“It is only when soldiers are patriotic that they are willing

to lay down their lives for their country. We also continu-

ously promote our military culture, which is founded on

discipline.

“From time to time I communicate with soldiers to mo-

tivate them and show my appreciation that they have

volunteered to pursue this noble career. It is important

that we lead by example so that the soldiers will aspire to

emulate our achievements,” he says.

The derailing of dreamsIt is somewhat strange that the man who once considered

a career as a doctor ended up in the army instead.

“At school I was very good at maths and science and

therefore I saw myself having a career as a doctor or

maybe a university professor. Unfortunately because

my father was involved in the liberation struggle

when I was growing up I was harassed throughout

my schooling by members of the Special Branch and

forced into political activism at a young age.”

He says the situation became unbearable in 1976,

when he was in Standard 10 (Grade 12), and he was

forced to leave the country. He was given two choices

by the ANC – continue with his studies or join the

ranks of uMkonto weSizwe (MK).

“Because of the manner in which I grew

up and the kind of oppression I saw the

African people subjected to; I couldn’t

look at my selfish interests of continu-

ing with my studies while other young-

sters like me were volunteering to fight

for the liberation of our country.

“So I had to make a conscious decision to say that my

nation and fellow oppressed people need my services

… so I joined the glorious army of the ANC.”

After leaving South Africa he went to Swaziland and

then to Mozambique and Tanzania, before undergoing

basic military training in Angola in 1997 and air defence

artillery training in the former Soviet Union in 1978.

Lt-Gen Masondo served in the ranks of MK in various

roles until he returned to South Africa in 1992, after the

ANC was unbanned.

He has held a number of positions in the army over

the years, including that of Director: Corporate Com-

munication, Personnel Staff Office to the Chief of the

SANDF, Director Human Resource Maintenance and

Chief Army Force Preparation.

He completed matric and diploma courses in secre-

tarial and computer studies while in exile. Since then,

he has added a Certificate in Defence Management

from the University of Witwatersrand, Certificate in

Labour Relations from the University of Pretoria and a

BCom degree from UNISA to his qualifications.

“We have also been

training of the armies of

other countries. In the DRC

we trained more than five

battalions.

Chief of the South African Army Lieutenant-General Vusi Masondo (third from left).


VitaL stats

Fast facts at your fingertips

Compiled by: Maselaelo Seshotli

About 2,9 million South Africans (7,5 per cent of the population)

are living with a disability.

This is according to the Profile of Persons with Disabilities

in South Africa report, which is based on Census 2011 data, released

by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

Disability is more prevalent in older age groups - more than half

(53,2 per cent) of those aged 85 or older reported having a disability.

It is also more prevalent among females, the report showed. There

are more than 1,6 million females with disabilities compared to the

more than 1,1 million males.

Disability prevalence by province• Free State and Northern Cape had the highest proportion of persons

with disability – 11,1 and 11 per cent respectively.

• The prevalence of persons with disabilities in the North West was 10

per cent, followed by Eastern Cape with 9,6 per cent, Mpumalanga

with 7 per cent and Limpopo with 6,9 per cent.

• Western Cape and Gauteng had the lowest percentage of persons

with disabilities, 5,4 and 5,3 per cent respectively.

Disability prevalence by population group• The population group profile showed that black people had the

highest proportion of persons with disabilities (7,8 per cent), fol-

lowed by whites with 6,5 per cent.

• The proportion of Coloureds and Indians with disabilities was 6,2

per cent.

With regards to the degree of difficulty in the domains

of seeing, hearing, communication, walking, remember-

ing and self-care, the report showed:

• 11 per cent of the those with disabilities had seeing

difficulties.

• 4,2 per cent had cognitive (remembering/concentrat-

ing) difficulties.

• 3,6 per cent had hearing difficulties.

• About 2 per cent had communication, self-care and

walking disabilities.

Access to housing and basic services• More than half (55,4 per cent) of households headed

by persons with disabilities lived in homes that were

owned and fully paid off.

• 20,6 per cent lived in rent-free dwellings, while about

12 per cent lived in rented dwellings.

• About 13,4 per cent of households headed by per-

sons with disabilities had no access to piped water

compared to 8,2 per cent of those headed by persons

without disabilities.

• 45,2 per cent of households headed by persons with

disabilities had access to a flush toilet and 37,1 per

cent used pit toilets.

• Households headed by persons with disabilities had

higher proportions using candles for lighting (14,6 per

cent) compared to households headed by persons

without disabilities (11 per cent).

Employment and persons with disabilities• 62 per cent of persons with disabilities were em-

ployed, 27,3 unemployed and 10,8 per cent not eco-

nomically active (neither employed nor unemployed).

• Employment levels were highest among males with

disabilities at 66,6 per cent.

• 58,1 per cent of females with disabilities were em-

ployed.

Source: Stats SA


Nelson Mandela Sports and Culture Day 22 November Sport and Recreation South Africa will host the second Nelson Mandela

Sports and Culture Day on 22 November. The event will take place at

the Union Buildings and will focus on encouraging social cohesion,

nation building and world peace – ideals that the late former President

Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to.

The Nelson Mandela Sports and Culture Day was first celebrated

in August 2013 in the form of double-header matches that saw the

Springboks take on Argentina and Bafana Bafana battle it out against

Burkina Faso at the FNB Stadium in Soweto.

During this year’s event, South Africans will have a chance to par-

ticipate in sporting activities such as cycling, running and walking.

For information on how to be part of the event go to

http://www.srsa.gov.za

South African Sports Awards30 NovemberThe South African Sports Awards will recognise and

honour individuals and teams who have excelled both

on and off the field between 1 October 2013 and 31

August 2014.

Candidates for the awards are nominated by the na-

tional sports federations, the media and the SA Sports

Awards voting panel.

The awards will take place at the Sandton Conven-

tion Centre on 30 November and will be hosted by

the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic

Committee and the Department of Sport and Recrea-

tion South Africa, with the SABC and Supersport as the

official broadcast partners.

The South African Sports Awards reward the country’s

sports stars for their efforts in keeping the passion of

sport alive in the hearts of millions of South Africans

through their efforts in local or international sports

events.

17th Public Sector Trainers’ Forum (PSTF) Conference24 – 26 NovemberThe National School of Government (NSG) will host the 17th Public

Sector Trainers’ Forum (PSTF) Conference under the theme “Building

capacity for higher productivity in the Public Sector”. The three-day

conference sessions will start on 24 November at the CSIR Conven-

tion Centre in Pretoria.

The forum provides a platform for collaborative interaction towards

improved relationships and organisational performance. Key stake-

holders expected to participate in the forum include government

departments at national, provincial and local level; Public Sector enti-

ties, councils and agencies; and social partners.

The PSTF strives to achieve a number Human Resource Develop-

ment (HRD) related objectives within the Public Sector.

This includes advancing the development and growth of HRD

practitioners; contributing to the awareness and adoption of qual-

ity standards; creating a platform for discussion, implementation and

possible reviews of policy frameworks and fostering partnerships with

stakeholders to improve HRD practices.

Those interested in attending the conference can make bookings

through the NSG contact centre on [email protected] or 012 441 6777.

National Global Change Conference1 – 5 December The second DST/NRF National Global Change Con-

ference will take place under theme “Global Change

Research in South Africa: towards integration across

disciplines, sectors and scales”.

The conference is an initiative of the Department of

Science and Technology (DST) and National Research

Foundation (NRF), in partnership with the South Afri-

can Global Change Science Committee and the Nelson

Mandela Metropolitan University, and will take place in

Port Elizabeth from 1 to 5 December.

It aims to bring together the diverse global change

research community in South Africa to share recent re-

search progress and outcomes across the broad scope

of the Global Change Grand Challenge programme.

The conference also aims to provide an opportunity

for post-graduate research students and emerging

researchers to locate their work in a broader context;

while providing a platform for awareness of the multiple

opportunities that exist for career development.

For more information go to the conference website,

http://globalchange2014.nmmu.ac.za

Erratum

In the previous edition of PSM magazine the incorrect text and logo ap-

peared under the heading Sports and Events Tourism Exchange, Exhibi-

tion and Conference (SETE) in the Upcoming Events section. We regret

the error. The correction was made on the online version of the magazine.

UPCoMing eVents


WoMen in the PUBLiC seCtor Writer: Gabi Khumalo

Kenosi Setlhako Machepa: proof that dreams do come true

qualities were also recognised by her teacher, who encour-

aged her to follow that path.

She recalls the days when she represented her school in top

debating competitions.

“I remember my fi rst year in a debating team… we beat our

opponent, which was the highest ranking in Bloemfontein.

Nobody could beat Lereko High School at the time, but we

did,” she says.

“My teacher sat me down and said: ‘This is your path.’ I then

started researching about public speaking careers because

I had no idea what it meant. I realised that I had it in me to

pursue a career in that fi eld. I continued with public speaking

for my high school while researching.”

But Setlhako Machepa had to put her dream of obtaining

a Communications degree on hold when she fell pregnant

and had a child at an early age. She ended up doing a

teaching diploma at the then Strydom College (now

Thaba Nchu College of Education).

After completing her diploma, she worked for eight

years as a primary school teacher.

“My son derailed my dreams of going to university. I had to

lower my ambitions because I had brought extra responsibility

for my mother, and had to go with the cheapest that I could

do, which was then to go to a college,” she explains.

Despite this, Setlhako Machepa refused to give up on her

childhood dream. She enrolled with the University of South

Africa (UNISA) to study part time, while working as a teacher.

She later graduated with a BA degree in Communications,

which opened new doors for her.

In 2004, she got her fi rst job as a communicator when she

was appointed as Assistant Director: Public Relations for the

Free State Department of Education.

Just two years after establishing her communications career,

Setlhako Machepa’s dedication and hard work elevated her

to a Media Liaison Specialist position at Free State Develop-

ment Corporation.

She stayed in that position for only a year, before joining

the SABC as the Regional Manager: Communications in the

From an early age, Kenosi Setlhako Machepa was al-

ready making her voice heard, thrusting her ideas and

views forward in her school debating team.

Engaging in strong debates and arguments with senior

learners excited and intrigued her. No subject was too big or

out of reach for the diminutive Setlhako Machepa to tackle.

It’s no wonder that today she is the Head of Communications

in the Women Ministry.

The Women’s Ministry has been mandated with champion-

ing the achievement of women’s socio-economic empower-

ment and human rights.

Shortly after her appointment, Minister Susan Shabangu

said the focus of the department over the next fi ve years

would be ensuring that women are anchored in the econ-

omy and become major benefi ciaries of interventions in

both the public and private sectors.

She indicated that her department would form strategic

partnerships with other government departments, agencies,

the private sector and civil society, as well as with women

across various sectors of the economy to accelerate women’s

access to productive resources.

Born in Bloemfontein in the Free State, 45-year-old Setl-

hako Machepa says she always knew that she would one day

be a communicator or a public speaker. Her public speaking


Free State. She later moved to Auckland Park in 2007,

where she worked as a Communication Specialist

in the Technology Division.

One can only be inspired by women like Setlhako

Machepa, who keep climbing up the ladder regard-

less of the obstacles thrown at them.

She was among those communicating the SABC’s

state of readiness ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup

in South Africa.

While at the SABC, she also studied for a Manage-

ment Development Programme at the Gordon Insti-

tute of Business Science. Before she joined the then

Department of Women, Children and People with

Disabilities, in November 2013, Setlhako Machepa

was Head of Communications at the South African

Weather Services.

While a shift from corporate communication to

government communications may not be an easy

adjustment for many people, Setlhako Machepa

embraced the change. She says her dissertation for

her Master’s degree in Media Studies, as well as her

upbringing, prepared her for the job.

“I’ve seen and experienced the strength of women

in my own growing environment. I was raised by a

single mother, who was a labourer. She raised me

with my two sisters, who have since passed on.

“At some point in our lives, my mother had to take

over the four girls of her sister, who went blind and

could no longer work. She took care of seven of us

with her small salary.”

She points out that being a communicator is not

as glamorous as some people may think.

“For instance one cannot be a communicator if he or she

cannot relate to people at every level. A true communicator

would be able to go down to that level and communicate. If

you fail to rise or go down to diff erent target audiences, you

are not a communicator.”

Setlhako Machepa raises the point that the majority of gov-

ernment communicators occupying the position of “spokes-

person” are males.

“There is an imbalance that we need to deal with,” she says,

adding that a pool of more women spokespeople needs to

emerge.

But she says she works well with her male colleagues.

She names former Basic Education spokesperson (now Gaut-

eng Education MEC) Panyaza Lesufi and current SAA spokes-

person Tlali Tali as some of the people she looks up to.

If she was not a communicator, Setlhako Machepa says she

would be a motivational speaker, something she is planning

to pursue and use to help others reach their full potential.

While most people struggle to cope with workplace stress,

Setlhako Machepa tries to avoid stress at work because she is

aware that the offi ce is not her home.

“I’m aware that the comfort I will get will come from home.

I shine when I do my work; it’s not about the offi ce space but

focusing on what I’m here to do. I’m also aware that we are at

diff erent levels as people, and that’s how I always approach

people knowing that they are in a diff erent space, so I must

tread carefully.”

Her advice to women is: “Don’t allow anything to stand in

your way and always work towards your goals”.

Setlhako Machepa is currently in Scotland, where she is study-

ing for a MBA Leadership at the University of Edinburgh. She

will be back in South Africa in August 2015.

Kenosi Setlhako Machepa always knew that she would one day have a career in communications.


DRIVING A TRANSFORMED AND ACCOUNTABLEPOLICE SERVICE

Reneva Esther Fourie Acting Secretary of Police

Reneva Fourie holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from

the University of Pretoria. She has attended a number of short courses,

which include a leadership development programme from the Harvard

Kennedy School of Government.

Having a strong propensity for community-based interactions, Fourie

served in local peace committee structures, which later were replaced

by Community Policing Forums for all of the 1990s. She remains active

in community-based activities, and has been involved in governmental

duties since 2002.

Upon her appointment as Acting Secretary of Police, Fourie wrote,

“My re-entry into an environment which had shaped my young adult

years happened with a bang. Within my first few weeks I met with

the senior management in each of the Chief Directorates, addressed

Parliament twice, met with Provincial Heads of Department and Chief

Financial Officers, attended Cabinet, and witnessed the release of the

crime statistics.

“As a collective we worked on concluding the Annual Report and key

elements of the 2015/2016 Annual Performance Plan. This assisted me

to rapidly re-familiarise myself with the civilian policing environment and I

undoubtly feel at home.”

“The continuous prevalence of violent crimes such as murder and

developments in areas such as Kuruman, Grabouw and Kirkwood

emphasise the need for a united front towards the creation of safe and

stable communities as policing alone will not bring about that change.

The Secretariat has an important role to play in building this united front,”

says Fourie.“In executing our mandate as the Secretariat, heritage is

significant. It gives us grounding as individuals, and our collective history

of resilience and as champions of change serves as a base from which

to drive change within the domain of safety and security. But change can

only happen if we are institutionally sound. The Secretariat must be a

place where all staff can feel that they belong, and where all staff believe

they are being treated fairly,” she adds.

“Already I have witnessed high levels of commitment within the

Secretariat and I feel blessed to have inherit- ed a team that has within it

skills and passion,” Fourie concludes.

Reneva Esther Fourie, born 30 April 1969, holds a Masters degree in

Public Administration. Her previous roles include Permanent Executive

Secretary for the African Ministerial Conference on Decentralisation

and Local Development (AMCOD), and her greatest achievement is a

self-published book entitled, “Embedded Decentralisation: An African

Approach”. Her goal for the year ahead is to optimize the effectiveness of

all structures that enable an active citizenry in support of the Police.

Department Profi le

Strategic overview

Vision:

A transformed and accountable police service that reflects the values of

our developmental state.

Mission:

To provide an efficient and civilian oversight of the SAPS and enhance

the role of the Minister of Police.

Value:

In carrying out its mandate, the Civilian Secretariat for Police subscribes

to the following set of values:

Relationship with parliament

As employees of the Civilian Secretariat for Police we

diligently affirm our commitment to:

• Be faithful to the Republic and honour the Constitution

• Put the interest of the public first

• Ensure execution of the policies of the Government

• Strive to be faithful to statutory requirements and instructions

• Co-operate with public institutions in promoting public interest

Relationship with the public



• Promote the unity and well-being of the South African Nation. • Be

unbiased and impartial

• Be polite, helpful and reasonably accessible and maintain high service

standards

• Have regard for the circumstances and concerns of the public

• The development and upliftment of all South Africans

• Not unfairly discriminate against any member of the public

• Not abuse our positions as public servants

• Respect and protect every person’s dignity and rights

• Recognise the public’s right to information except where

protected by law

Relationship with our colleagues



• Co-operate fully with our colleagues to advance the public interest

• Execute all reasonable instructions by persons officially assigned to

give such

• Refrain from favouring friends and family and not abuse our authority

nor be unduly influenced

• Use the appropriate channels to air any grievances or make direct

representations

• Be committed to development, motivation and utilisation of our staff

and promote sound labour relations

• Deal fairly, professionally and equitably with colleagues.

Performance of our duties



• Strive to achieve the objectives of the Secretariat cost-effectively and

in the public interest

• Be creative in thought in the execution of our duties

• Be punctual in the execution of our duties

• Be professional and competent in our duties

• Not engage in any action or transaction in conflict with the execution

of our duties

• Recuse ourselves from any official action or decision making that may

result in improper gain and to declare such interest

• Avail ourselves for further training and self development throughout

our careers

• Be honest and accountable when dealing with public funds

• Promote sound, efficient, effective, transparent and accountable

administration

• Report fraud, corruption, nepotism and maladministration

• Give honest and impartial advice

• Honour confidentiality

Personal conduct and private interests



• Dress and behave in a manner that enhances the public service

during official duties

• Act responsibly in the use of alcohol or intoxicating substances

• Not use our position to obtain gifts or benefits for ourselves or accept

such that can be construed as bribes

• Not disclose official information for personal gain or for the gain of

others

• Not undertake remunerative work outside official duties without prior

approval or use official equipment for such work

Strategic outcome-orientated goals

The following are the department goals:

• A well-advised and supported Minister for a service-delivery oriented

police service that is accountable

• Quality, timeous evidence-based strategic research, policy advice,

and legislative support to the Minister of Police

• Deepened public participation in the fight against crime

• Enhanced accountability and transformation of the SAPS

INSTITUTION PROFILE

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2013/14

OM&E Framework:

A draft Oversight Monitoring and Evaluation Framework was developed

and finalised after consultation with provinces. The framework was

developed to serve as a guideline to ensure that oversight OM&E is

undertaken in a coordinated manner at national and provincial level.

OM&E Dialogues:

· A dialogue between government and civil society was hosted during

women’s month on 22-23 August 2013 to ensure safe violence-free

communities for women and girls in South Africa. The dialogue was

meant to identify concrete actions that could contribute towards

improved policing responses and violence-free communities, including

the complementary actions required by other stakeholders to ensure

safe, violence-free communities for women and girls.

· A dialogue on the management of complains against the SAPS was

hosted with various stakeholders and the main objective was to

create an opportunity for key stakeholders to share knowledge and

information on complaints against the police with the intention of

establishing acceptable criteria of response and promoting innovative

and sustainable solutions to effective service delivery by all key

stakeholders.

Evaluations:

The unit successfully concluded two implementation evaluations on the

SAPS. Key findings on one of the evaluations informed the strategy on

Detection which was presented in Parliament.

Information Management System:

Phase I of the development of the Information Management System (IMS)

was completed. The system will facilitate on-site data capturing and

consolidation at a provincial and national level.

Millicent Kewuti Chief Director: Monitoringand Evaluation

Millicent Kewuti is a specialist within the Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Management Information systems environments which is supported by her solid background in Information Technology. She prides herself with almost a decade of experience in the establish-ment of the said systems. Her exposure within the public and Non-governmental sectors has enabled her to evolve into an executive role within these disciplines. She currently fulfils the role of Chief Director: Oversight Monitoring and Evaluation (OM&E) within the Civilian Secretariat for Police. The main purpose of this function is to contribute towards improved police performance and accountability. She briefly occupied the Director: Information Management post in the department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. This entailed the development of systems to preserve corporate memory and heritage.

CREAM ALWAYS RISES TO THE TOPHard work and dedicat ion always pay of f at the end of the day, and the Civ i l ian Secretar iat of Pol ice has been blessed with three except ional ly ta lented female di rectors.

Before joining the national sphere of government, she led the Information Management and M&E functions in the Gauteng Office of the Premier in her capacity Director: Information Management, Monitoring and Evaluation. Key achievements within these roles in the public sector include the establishment of Information Management, Monitoring and Evaluation and Reporting systems (including the development of frameworks, policies and procedures); management of Information Communication Technology Infrastructure and the building of M&E capacity.

Department Profi le

In her role as Chief Director of Policy Development and Research within the Civilian Secretariat of Police, Bilkis Omar took forward reviewing and developing various policies targeted at the police, as well as for the JCPS cluster.

Policy and Research development

Through collaboration with the SAPS along with other key government role players, the sub programme began the review of the 1998 White Paper on Safety and Security. Emanating from this, the need for a comprehensive policing policy was identified. The White Paper on the Police was developed (preceded by the Green Paper as required to fulfill the legislative process). This policy is a broad overarching policy framework for developing a professional, competent, and highly skilled police service and was a major accomplishment for the CSP. The Paper seeks to reaffirm the commitment by the Department of Police to the principles of good governance of policing in a democracy and it will provide the basis for the review of existing legislation, particularly the SAPS Act. The policy developed for the SAPS Detective Service which seeks to provide a framework for improving the quality and functioning of the detective service was a further achievement for the CSP. The Use of Force policy provides SAPS with clear and consistent guidelines regarding the use of force while engaged in the discharge of their official duties. The policy addresses the force continuum, how and when force may be applied, as well as the extent of force to be used. The policy is human rights centered, supported by the need for effective accountability and transparency.

The diagnostic assessment of existing government and civil society anti-gang strategies in provinces was conducted to enhance the development of the National Integrated Anti-Gangs Strategy. The diagnostic identified best-practices and challenges in relation to implementation to preclude similar challenges for the future. The success of the project lay in the good coordinated working relationship with other government departments, particularly NICOC.

Bilkis Omar Chief Director: Policy and ResearchBilkis Omar is the Chief Director: Policy Development and Research at the Civilian Secretariat for Police. She manages the policy development process which is geared at contributing to effective and professional policing, and ensuring the police reach their long term goal and vision of a safer South Africa. Bilkis’ recent accomplishments includes managing the development of the White Paper on the Police, as well as the policy on the establishment and regulation of the first National Forensic DNA Database for South Africa. Before joining government, Bilkis worked for civil society, conducting research around issues of policing, crime and safety. As an independent researcher she contributed to the United Nations World Drug report by focusing on heroin trafficking in SADC. Bilkis has an Honours Degree in Criminology and has always wanted to influence government policy on policing, crime and safety. Her current job allows her the opportunity to realize her objectives.

Advocate Dawn Bell Chief Director: Legislation

The legislation unit of the Civil Secretariat for the Police Service

was formally established in March 2013 when Advocate Dawn Bell

was appointed Chief Director: Legislation.

The primary aim of the Legislation Unit is to ensure that the

Minister, through the support of the Secretary of Police, develops

and maintains effective policing legislation that is implemented by

the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Key achievements since Advocate Bell’s appointment:

The Dangerous Weapons Act No. 15 of 2013 was finalised and

passed in June 2013:

• This Act rationalises the Dangerous Weapons Act, 1968 and

repeals Acts of former TBVC states, prohibits the possession of

dangerous weapons in public. The Act is intended to contribute

to the safety of the inhabitants of the Republic

The Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Act No.

37 of 2013 (DNA) was passed in December 2013:

• This Act was assented to in January 2014. It establishes the

National Forensic DNA Database in the SAPS. The Act provides

for the taking of buccal and bodily samples, the storage of DNA

profiles, and related matters, and the establishment of a DNA

Oversight and Ethics Board

Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill was

adopted by Parliament in February 2014:

• This Bill improves provisions for more effective regulation of

the private security industry. It also provides for reporting and

accountability mechanisms and procedures for the regulatory

authority to the Minister and Parliament. It further provides

for the limitation on foreign involvement in a private security

business in South Africa

traiLBLaZer Writer: Noluthando Mkhize

SA’s first female dredge master making waves

She describes herself as the black mermaid who has travelled

across the world. At 27, Londiwe Ngcobo has also earned the

title of South Africa’s fi rst female dredge master.

Ngcobo is in charge of steering one of Transnet’s most expensive

and biggest dredges, Isandlwana, which costs more than a billion.

Based in KwaZulu-Natal at the Port of Durban, Ngcobo says dredg-

ing keeps all the ports around the world functioning.

“If dredgers did not exist all ports would shut down. We are respon-

sible for extending the port and doing excavations of silt or mud

to keep the depth of the port at the required amount or length.”

“In order for a big ship to get into the port it requires a certain

depth. We make the port deeper and maintain it. We extend the

beaches and also feed them with sand. I drive the ship and handle

all the controls for dredging.”

An awkward odour lingers on the 4 200m3 Isandlwana. Ngcobo

says she has grown accustomed to it.

“It’s not like this everyday!” she explains.

“We are doing excavations of silt today and the mud causes the

smell. It has dead fi sh from the ocean, hence the smell. I have got-

ten used to it.”

The dredger manned by Ngcobo is named after the great battle of

Isandlwana during the Anglo-Zulu War when Zulu King Cetshwayo’s

army conquered the British army in 1879.

This battle was one of the worst defeats suff ered by the British

army during the Victorian era.

Isandlwana sits in the Port of Durban on a windy day. Waves crash

and clouds peep over the sea, a sign that it might rain. Ngcobo is

captured by the beauty of the sea.

“When I am at sea I am amazed at its beauty. No land, just the sea,

the sunrise, the dolphins and fl ying fi sh - it’s absolutely striking.”

“Every morning before my shift I used to go on the deck just to

admire all the beauty before me.”

Ngcobo says the sea is where she belongs but being on a vessel

for months on end can be daunting because of the homesickness.

Ngcobo, from Clermont in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, was intro-

duced to the maritime industry and the ‘suitcase life’ at

Sithengile High School where she matriculated.

“The school had maritime studies as at Grade 10 and

I decided to study it along with mathematics and sci-

ence.”

In 2000 the idea of exploring the world became a

reality when Ngcobo was chosen to be an exchange

student for two years at Leeds in the United Kingdom.

“I spent six months in the UK just to explore diff erent

cultures as an exchange student.”

In 2004 she completed matric and the following year

was accepted at the Durban University of Technology

to pursue a diploma in Maritime Studies.

“It was easy to choose maritime studies because I was

told it involved a lot of travelling.”

As part of her training, Ngcobo did her cadetship

with Safmarine/Maersk, the largest commercial ship-

ping company, in 2007.

“The work experience was like absolutely nothing I

imagined it would be; being a ship navigating offi cer

navigating around the globe was a lot of hard work.”

“I was groomed and well trained from rank to rank

and after four ships and 12 months of work experience,

I completed my training and went on to do a License

Class 3 oral examination.”

A Licence Class 3 qualifi es Ngcobo to steer a dredge.

She says to obtain a licence in her fi eld one has to

pass an oral examination where a board of examiners

from the South African Maritime Safety Authority grills

potential offi cers to determine if they are qualifi ed.

In 2009, she also completed her diploma.

Ngcobo returned to sea as a third navigation offi cer

on the Safmarine Nimba and was responsible for main-

taining safety equipment and a cargo operations watch

when in port. >>


Londiwe Ngcobo, South Africa's fi rst female dredge master.


traiLBLaZertraiLBLaZer

During this period she also got to explore the world.

“I did the West African run, this included the Democratic Re-

public of Congo, Nigeria, Gabon, Senegal and Morocco. I also

did the Far East run, which was China, Mauritius, Madagascar

and Singapore, and the European run – which included some

European countries.”

After travelling the globe, Ngcobo felt she needed a challenge

and the idea of returning to South Africa started to grow on her.

In 2011 she landed a position with Transnet Dredging Services

as a deck officer. Her duties included managing the crew, main-

tenance, and administration for the vessel.

“I have always felt like there was a story that I needed to tell

but first I needed to write my own story. When I joined Transnet

I was told that there had never been a female dredge master

in the history of the company. I thought maybe this could be

it - my unique story.”

A 10-month ship handling course followed and a further two

years of training before she was officially the country’s first female

dredge master.

Ngcobo says one the challenges of her position is managing

members of the crew who are older than her.

“I have to work with people who are old enough to be your

father and here I am a young, black female giving orders

to them. I have to say things in the most respectful way

but at the same time ensure things get done.”

She manages a crew of 18 and the vessel operates

24 hours a day.

For Ngcobo and her crew Isandlwana is a home away

from home, equipped with a kitchen, gym, cabins and

lounge area.

“In the past I would be at sea for three months straight,

but here it is different. I’m at sea for two weeks and the

other two I’m off, there is another crew that takes over.”

Ngcobo says she loves sharing motherly warmth to

the crew as it consists of mostly males with just two

females on board.

She believes the maritime industry has evolved over

the years and is currently giving a lot of exposure and

opportunities to black women in particular.

With South African celebrating 20 years of Freedom,

Ngcobo feels that those who fought for freedom have

already paved the way for her.

“I am a dredge master because of democracy,” she

says.

This & ThatHow do you relax?

I love swimming and reading. I’m

currently reading A Hustler's Bible by

Gayton McKenzie.

Favourite food?

Mogodu (tripe) and pizza.

Three words that describe you?

Creative, ambitious and bubbly.

Favourite holiday destination?

Dubai and Port St Johns, Eastern

Cape.

Dredge master Londiwe Ngcobo believes that there are many opportunities for women in the maritime industry.


WHO IS JUDGE ESSA MOOSA?

Judge Essa Moosa was born on 8 February 1936 in District Six, Cape Town, South Africa. He qualified as a lawyer and was admitted to practise by the Supreme Court of South Africa on 1 June 1962.

In April 1998 he was appointed by President Nelson Mandela as a judge of the High Court of the Supreme Court of South Africa and based in Cape Town. He retired officially from active service on 8 February 2011. He continues to hold the position of a judge and can be called upon, from time to time by the judiciary, to render service in his capacity as a judge.

As a practising lawyer spanning over a period of more than 30 years, he specialised in human rights issues. During the apartheid era, he challenged in court human right violations such as detention without trial, freedom of association, expression, and movement.

He acted for a number of prominent anti-apartheid non-governmental and community-based organisations. He also represented leading anti-apartheid political and community activists who were detained without trial in terms of the security legislation and emergency regulations and those who were charged with various political offences.

After the unbanning of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1990, he served as the Secretary of the Constitutional Committee of the ANC. The Constitutional Committee gave logistical support to the ANC negotiation team led by Nelson Mandela for the establishment of a democratic, non-racial, and non-sexist South Africa.

On 20 September 2012 he was awarded a Degree of Doctor of Law by the University of the Western Cape for his contribution to human rights generally and to the struggle particularly for democracy, freedom, equality, and dignity in South Africa.

ESSA MOOSAOFFICE OF THE DPCI JUDGE

Profile: Judge Essa Moosa

Born: 8 February 1936

Position: Head of the Office of the Judge

Education: Diploma in Law - University of Cape

Town; Honorary Doctor of Law - University of the

Western Cape

Previous roles: Judge of the High Court of

the Supreme Court in Cape Town; fouding and

executive member of the National Association of

Democratic Lawyers; Secretary of the Constitu-

tional Committee of the ANC; provincial election

agent for the ANC in the Western Cape.

Greatest achievement: Being appointed as a

Judge of the High Court of the Supreme Court of

South Africa by President Nelson Mandela in April

1998.

Goals for the year ahead: To set up a fully

functional Office of the Judge in Cape Town and

Pretoria that investigates complaints against and

from members of the Directorate of Priority Crime

Investigation (also known as the Hawks).

J U D G E

Department Profi le

ROLE, FUNCTIONS, AND MANDATE OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE

Essentially, the institution of the Office of the Judge was created in order to play an oversight role concerning the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation that is commonly known as The Hawks and was previously known as the Scorpions.

MANDATE

The primary function of the Office of the Judge as in oversight role is to investigate two types of complaints:

• Category 1 Complaint Shall be a complaint by any member of the public who can provide evidence of a serious and unlawful infringement of his or her rights caused by an investigation of the Hawks

• Category 2 complaint Shall be a complaint by a member of the Hawks who can provide evidence of any improper influence or interference, whether of a political or other nature, exerted upon him or her regarding the conducting of his/her investigation

POWERS OF THE JUDGE

The Office of the Judge may

• Obtain information and documents under the control of SAPS• Enter any building or premises of the SAPS in order to obtain such information and documents; and• Be entitled to all reasonable assistance by a member of the SAPS

NOTE: Refusal by SAPS members to comply with the request of the Office of the Judge is a criminal offence

LIMITATIONS

The Office of the Judge does not have enforcement powers: that is to say, that it cannot enforce any decisions it arrives at during the course of an investigation. However, it has the power to refer the matter to other organs of the state for further action. The role is essentially to report to the Minister of Police with each case that has been completed and make the recommendations to him or her. The Minister can then take the matter further from there. Once a year, because of our oversight role, we report to parliament on our performance. Parliament can then decide how they want to change or amend the law on the basis of our report, in order to make the Hawks more efficient and effective in its role.

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

We had a case where the members of The Hawks were investigating an alleged crime committed by a particular person, and they raided the business premises. They ordered all the staff into a room, where they kept them while they started searching for evidence.

The suspect then complained saying that his rights and that of his staff had been violated. He stated that the Hawks had just arrived, put everyone into the room, pushed them around, and traumatised them. He thought that by complaining it might influence the investigation against him.

It is a serious crime on the face of it. We investigated the complaint to find out the verasity of the claim and whether there was any substance to it. The Hawks claimed that they did everything in terms of the law with the search and the raid. Not only that, but they took videos of the search and raid, so we were able to watch the videos. They also made the whole file of their investigation available to us.

Judge Moosa looked at the file and it became obvious that the allegations were not valid. It was aimed at trying to deflect from the investigation. The Hawks were cleared of any wrong-doing.

FORM AND MANNER OF COMPLAINT

• A complaint shall be made in writing in the form set out in Annexure 1 of the Regulations• A complaint made may be lodged by e-mail, fax, or post or be delivered at the Office of the Judge• The Office of the Judge may require from any complainant to submit any allegations in the form of an affidavit• Complaints may also be lodged at any Independent Police Investigative Directorate offices (IPID), which shall ensure that the complaint is submitted to the Office of the Judge without any delay• A person, who wishes to lodge a complaint at an office of the IPID, shall be assisted by personnel of the IPID to complete the prescribed form, if so requested

PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANT: BONGIWE MASELANAC/o 9th Floor, 120 Plein Street,Cape Town 8000.Tell: 021 467 7027Cell: 082 459 3459,E-mail: [email protected]

fooD anD Wine

Jozi's best kept secret revealed

Writer: Seugnet van Zyl

T urning his love for food into a lucrative business

is the secret behind Paul Maciel, the Secret Jozi

Chef ’s, success.

After 10 years of service in the media, Maciel took a

leap of faith to follow his passion of creating delecta-

ble dishes. Today, that risk has paid off , and Paul is the

proud owner of Pronto, Johannesburg’s award winning

Italian restaurant.

Self-titled the Secret Jozi Chef, Paul is not a chef by

training, yet his passion for the palate is what led him

to risk all, leap into the unknown and begin his journey

driven by his love of food. In 2004 he swopped the

corporate world for his culinary quest, and since then

has been creating his own unique masterpieces in the

kitchen. What started as a small deli, soon turned into

a thriving restaurant, and Paul has never looked back.

Being a great cook, means having a respect for ingre-

dients and cooking with integrity. Having battled with weight-loss,

Paul at one stage weighed over 130kg. “I learnt that food had a huge

impact on me. I now respect my body and only put food into it

that adds value to my health.” This approach led to him shedding

50kgs, and he developed a passion for promoting healthy eating.

He describes his cooking as South African Italian, which pays hom-

age to great Italian ingredients and recipes with some fi ne-tuning

for the South African palate. With an Indian mother and Portuguese

father, Paul was raised in Malawi. This inextricably diverse link of

food from all these cultures exposed Paul to all sorts of tastes and

textures. “I was as comfortable with a spicy layered breyani as I was

with boiled cod fi sh or nsima, which is the equivalent to pap in

Malawi. Being raised within those two cultures, food was always

a central part to celebration of any family event.”

Paul shares some of his quick and easy recipes with us, to teach

you how to respect your food and your body. Try these healthy

meals at home.

tuna Chick Pea saladThis is a quick, easy and tasty meal is great choice if you are on a diet

and even if you aren’t.

ingredients

1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 can solid tuna drained

40g fresh baby rocket

½ large onion

2 tbsp fi nely chopped parsley

1 cup chopped cherry tomato

Drain and rinse the chick peas place in a large bowl. Drain the tuna

and set aside. Add all the other ingredients and gently mix to com-

bine. If you prepare the salad in advance don’t add the rocket, add

the rocket at the last minute.

1 cup deseeded black olives

2 tbsp capers

60ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

40ml Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

34 Public Sector Manager • November 2014

griddle cakesGriddle Cakes, fl apjacks, crumpets whatever you want to call them

are quick and easy to make and are something diff erent to enjoy

at breakfast. Create your own premix by sieving the following

dry ingredients together and storing them in an airtight jar, that

way it takes less than fi ve minutes to produce a batch, just add

the wet ingredients when you need them and combine lightly.

ingredients

1,5 cups cake fl our ½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp oil

½ tsp bicarbonate 2 large eggs

2 tbsp sugar 1,5 cups milk

taboulehingredients

1 x 500g packet cous cous

30g mint

30g fl at leaf parsley

30g dhania/ coriander leaves

3 large tomatoes deseeded and

diced

6 spring onions fi nely sliced

1 can chick peas

Prepare the cous cous to the pack instructions and set aside. Prepare

and combine all other ingredients, except the olive oil, vinegar and

cumin combine these separately. Add the cous cous to the herb

and vegetable mix, and then dress, toss lightly to prevent it from

going mushy. This salad is great even the day after.

If you have a small family or you normally make breakfast for two,

divide the fl our mix into two jars. Stored in a jar, the ingredients

should be good for up to two months. I challenge you to leave

it that long. Sieve together the dry ingredients, and add the wet

ingredients and mix well. Heat a pan with some oil, butter or

non-stick spray and spoon in the amount of batter based on the

size of griddle cake you want.

For the adventurous eaters, add in chocolate chips and serve

with a fresh chocolate sauce. Those opting for a healthier option

can add some ricotta and honey to the mix and serve with low

fat yoghurt; or raisins and a few teaspoons of oats.

¼ tsp ground cumin

400g Danish feta cubed

salt & pepper

200g grilled aubergine

150g roasted red peppers

60g rocket leaves

2 green chili fi nely sliced

120ml Extra Virgin Olive oil

70ml white vinegar

For more recipes visit The Secret Jozi Chef on Facebook, or visit the Pronto restaurant at the Colony Shopping Centre on Jan Smuts Avenue in Johannesburg.

35Public Sector Manager • November 2014

aeriaL VieW Writer: Amukelani Chauke

Public Service and Administration pursues excellence

There has been plenty of fine-tuning over the past year

to ensure a service delivery-oriented Public Service

that looks after its employees to encourage them to

improve the lives of the people of South Africa.

This includes the passing of the Public Administration and

Management Bill, the launch of the National School of Gov-

ernment and the production of a draft policy to introduce a

new housing scheme, among others.

This is according to the Department of Public Service and

Administration’s (DPSA) annual report for the 2013/ 14 finan-

cial year, which was recently tabled before Parliament.

In the report, DPSA Director-General Mashwahle Diphofa

said such interventions were part of the Public Service’s struc-

tural transformation, as well as policy development, moderni-

sation and focused implementation since 1994.

“Looking ahead, the DPSA will consolidate its plans in a

manner that seeks to take forward the implementation of

the National Development Plan (NDP). In this regard, Chap-

ters 13 and 14 of the NDP are relevant to the mandate of the

department as they talk directly to the creation of an enabling

environment which is critical for the implementation of the

rest of the actions of the NDP,” he said.

The Public Administration and Management Bill To promote employee ethics and improve service delivery the

NDP proposes the professionalisation of the Public Service,

which comprises about 1,2 million employees.

Professionalisation will contribute to having an effective,

efficient, transparent and accountable state machinery that

will serve the needs of the nation.

Over the past year, the National Assembly passed the Public

Administration and Management Bill of 2013 by a majority

vote and referred it to President Jacob Zuma for his assent.

The Director-General said once the Bill had been signed

into law, the department would implement the Act in phases.

He said the Bill seeks, among others, to:

- Provide for the promotion of basic values and princi-

ples referred to in section 195(1) of the Constitution in

the public administration.

- Provide for the transfer and secondment of employees

in the Public Service.

- Regulate the prohibition of employees to do business

with the state.

- Regulate the candidature of employees during elec-

tions.

- Provide for anti-corruption measures that include es-

tablishing an anti-corruption bureau.

- Inculcate a culture of compliance by institutions and

employees within the public administration by provid-

ing for the establishment of the Office of Standards

and Compliance.

- Regulate capacity development and training within

the public administration by providing for the National

School of Government.

“To give effect to [these goals], the [then] Minister of Public

Service and Administration established the National

School of Government, the Office of Standards and

Compliance.”

He added that government would also establish the

Public Administration Ethics, Integrity and Disciplinary

Technical Assistance Unit to provide technical assis-

tance and support to institutions in all spheres of gov-

ernment regarding management of ethics, integrity

and disciplinary matters relating to misconduct within

the public administration.

Highlights of the yearUnder the leadership of the former Minister of the

DPSA, Lindiwe Sisulu, the department launched the

Batho Pele Call Centre simultaneously with the Service

Charter.


The call centre, the Minister Sisulu said, was launched

in a quest to professionalise the Public Service.

“By calling the Batho Pele Call Centre, the public will

be able to communicate directly with the Public Ser-

vice on any experience they have had or to request

assistance,” she said.

During this period:

- The department also launched the first ever National

Annual Batho Pele Excellence Awards to “recognise

excellence in the Public Service, acknowledge and

encourage it and entrench the culture of profession-

alisation”.

- President Zuma announced the establishment of the

Presidential Remuneration Commission, which will

investigate the appropriateness of the remuneration

and conditions of service provided by the state to all

its employees.

- The state agreed to the introduction of the Govern-

ment Housing Scheme to enable public servants who

cannot afford home loans but who do not qualify for

social housing to be able to own a house. DPSA Min-

ister Collins Chabane has been in discussions with

unions and the banking industry in a bid to make this

proposal a reality.

- The department started rolling out the e-Disclosure

system - designed in collaboration with the State Infor-

mation Technology Agency - to ensure that all senior

managers disclose their financial interests in a bid to

entrench the spirit of clean governance. The system is

also being rolled out to national and provincial depart-

ments.

- A new protocol for recruitment and filling of advertised

posts of deputy directors-general and heads of de-

partments was approved by the Cabinet and is being

implemented.

- The Public Service and Integrity Management Frame-

work was approved and the DPSA is currently briefing

all provinces.

The Minister Sisulu also said that the much-antic-

ipated review of the Handbook for Members of the

Executive and Presiding Officers had been completed

and would be tabled before Cabinet, but a date for this

had not been set.

“During the period under review, South Africa’s ascension to

the African charter on values and principles of the Public Ser-

vice and Administration have been approved by the Cabinet

and ratified by Parliament,” she said.

Notable achievements in administrationHuman Resource Management has been identified as a key

performance area (KPA) that needs to be managed and moni-

tored as it is impossible to professionalise the public service

without first making sure that this area is well looked after.

Challenges that have confronted the Public Service include

a high vacancy rate. When government’s delivery agreement

was signed in 2010, the vacancy rate stood at 19 per cent. This

was because of the long time taken to fill vacant posts. De-

partments took up to nine months to make an appointment.

By January this year, the average vacancy rate had been >>


CORPORATESOLUTIONS ( P T Y ) LT D

MTK

Contact us:

876 Pretorius Street

Eastwood

Pretoria

Tel: 012 342 9858

Fax: 012 342 3577

STATE OF THE ART BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

MTK Corporate Solutions (Pty) Ltd is a business development service provider established in 2000 and aims to provide state of the art business processes development services and financial management services using highly qualified and productive/professional personnel in the industry.

MTK was established by Professor Hadebe (Dip. Entrepreneur Management, Business Management [UP], Dip. Business Management [Damelin], Dip. Advanced Marketing, BBA, BCOM (Fin) MBA, PhD [NU]) who is a hard worker and leaves no stone unturned for his and the company’s betterment.

The company aims to provide the state of the art business development services and financial management services using highly qualified, productive and professional personnel.

By being afforded business development services and financial management contracts and projects, we create jobs and lift the living standards of South African people. This creates a sense of self-worth and purpose, thereby reducing the dependence of jobless people stretching the resources of Government.

Our services and products are designed to meet the need and requirements of our customers. MTK is a force to be reckoned with in the corporate world. We always strive for the sky in the betterment of our services and our customer’s needs. All of our work is guaranteed.

CORE VALUES

• To develop learning and oriented employees.• Skills of our employees’ must be developed, evaluated and refined• To keep pace with change and maintain a competitive edge• To hire the right qualified people/employees• To help each other to be successful• To create clarity in the organization i.e. clarity of purpose, direction, structure and measurement of results. Determined to communicate our values and philosophies to our customers• To provide our employees with appropriate reward system• To create an experimental and learning attitude towards our employees• To invest and plough back to the communities where we draw our workforce• Shareholders, management and employees to share victories and setbacks together like a family

OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

• To improve our customers with quality business development services and financial management services• To gain a competitive advantage locally• To become the leader in the business development services sector with branches in all nine provinces of South Africa• To hire a productive and qualified workforce that will put our valued customers first• To keep our prices and services fair and affordable

aeriaL VieW

reduced to 9,56 per cent, meaning it took departments

just over four months to fill a post between January and

December last year.

Linked to this, unemployment remains a global chal-

lenge and in South Africa the unemployment rate is

stubbornly high.

According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), the

unemployment rate for the country’s population of

54 million stood at 25,5 per cent in the second quarter

of 2014, with young people comprising the majority of

unemployed South Africans.

To tackle this problem, the Public Service, which re-

mains the biggest employer, started recruiting gradu-

ates and youths by offering internships, learnerships

and apprenticeships.

Over the past year, DPSA helped departments recruit

27 350 young people against a target of 15 000.

Since 2009/10, 88 820 youths have been recruited

to take up these opportunities in the Public Service.

According to the annual report, data stretching to

March 2014 shows that 98 820 young people were

recruited into the Public Service at both national and

provincial department level as interns, learners and

apprentices.

Other achievements include:

- The development of the e-Learning policy and guide-

lines, aimed at improving access to learning opportu-

nities through the use of technology. The Minister will

finalise the policy and guidelines during the current

financial year for implementation in April 2015.

- The e-Government policy framework of 2001 was up-

dated and made relevant to the current technology

environment over the past year. The draft policy, which

will also be extended to local government, has been

completed and submitted for the Minister’s approval.

- An assessment of the effectiveness of the anti-corrup-

tion framework, which was first adopted by Cabinet

in 2003, was conducted from April 2012 to March

2013. This was done to ascertain the effectiveness of

anti-corruption measures employed by institutions of

government and identify gaps and best practices in

combating corruption within the Public Service.

- The Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI), one of

the department’s agencies responsible for encourag-

ing and supporting the use of innovation in the pub-

lic service to improve service delivery, developed and

implemented numerous interventions. These include

the a Multi-Media Innovation Centre, Honeydew Police

CCTV/ Nerve centre, Helen Joseph Hospital Energy Ef-

ficiency Project and the Auxiliary Nurses’ Training pro-

gramme in Limpopo.

The Government Employees Medical Schemes grew

its membership by more than 54 per cent and won the

Ask Afrika Orange Index Award again.

Winners of the 2013 Batho Pele Excellence Awards personify a professional, dedicated and innovative Public Service.


in OTHER NEWS Compiled by Albert Pule, Andile Cele and Ursula Graaff

SA’s researchers honoured Minister of Science and Technology Minister Naledi

Pandor heaped praise on South Africa’s researchers

when she announced the recipients of the 2014

National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards.

The awards were presented at a ceremony at the

Thaba Ya Batswana Eco Hotel in Johannesburg re-

cently.

The NRF Awards acknowledge researchers

judged by their peers to have distinguished them-

selves in their fi elds.

Congratulating all the winners, Minister Pandor

singled out Professors Opie and Coovadia, who

received lifetime achievement awards.

“I am in awe of your work and I thank you, on

behalf of the South African people, from the bot-

tom of my heart,” said the Minister.

Prof. Lionel Opie of the University of Cape Town

and Prof. Hoosen Coovadia of the University of

Government goes digitalIt was all things digital as the newly formed De-

partment of Communications, in partnership

with South African social network Mxit, hosted

a Government Digital Day in Pretoria.

Speaking at the event, Communications Deputy

Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams said Mxit was

a great platform to interact with the youth as re-

search showed that 65 per cent of Mxit users were

between the ages of 18 and 35.

The Deputy Minister also emphasised the im-

portance of moving with current trends, saying,

“We want to move forward. We want to be where

the world is.”

She also encouraged communicators to strive

to provide information to the public.

“We have to occupy all the platforms that are

out there, including relevant age groups.”

The Deputy Minister stressed the importance

of an informed society, saying people could only

move forward if they were informed and empow-

ered.

Together with Mxit, government has managed

to successfully communicate the Presidential Inauguration Campaign

and the Tell Your Story Campaign.

The South African Government App that is available on Mxit provides

users with information about government activities and initiatives. The

Department of Transport also has an app on Mxit, which is used to com-

municate various campaigns and initiatives.

After the event, the Deputy Minister participated in a live chat on Twitter

where she answered questions about government services.

Witwatersrand and the University of KwaZulu-Natal were recognised

for their lifelong research achievements and the impact of these achieve-

ments on society.

Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, CEO of the NRF, said: “With the success of re-

search comes the acknowledgement of those who have committed their

careers to pushing the boundaries of scientifi c knowledge.

“The NRF Awards celebrate the work of the country’s rated researchers

by highlighting their achievements. For the NRF, our work will continue to

support the country's research community, enabling established scien-

tists to continue their valuable contributions to South Africa's knowledge

economy, as well as providing the means for our next generation of re-

searchers and emerging researchers to continue pushing the boundaries

of human knowledge.”

The NRF rating system used to evaluate researchers is a world-respected

benchmark based on peer review of the quality and impact of the work

of researchers.

A-rated researchers have been recognised by their peers as leading

international scholars.

The following received A1 ratings (recognised by all reviewers):

Communications Deputy MInister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and Aslam Levy, DoC's Director: EIR and Social Media, interacting with the public on Digital Day.


• Prof. JWV (Wentzel) van Huyssteen of Stellenbosch University.

• Prof. MJ (Michael) Wingfi eld of the University of Pretoria.

The following received A2 ratings (recognised by the majority

of reviewers):

• Prof. F (Fernando) Albericio of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Sanral wins top employer awardThe South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has received a top employer award for keeping its staff happy.

Top Employers Institute, an international organisation that has its head offi ce in the Netherlands, recognised Sanral as a top

employer at an awards ceremony in Gauteng recently.

The institute recognises leading employers around the world, with the focus on those which provide excellent employee condi-

tions, nurture and develop talent throughout all levels of the organisation and strive to continuously optimise employment practices.

“Sanral is particularly pleased of this achievement,” said Heidi Harper, Corporate Services Executive of the roads agency.

“The agency builds, maintains and manages some of the best roads worldwide, something which can only be done when an

organisation has dedicated, trained staff . This has now been recognised.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony Sanral’s CEO Nazir Alli said: “We have put in a lot of eff ort in the past 16 years of our exist-

ence to make Sanral an employer of choice. This includes providing our staff with security and stability, competitive salaries and

benefi ts packages, encouraging a work-life balance and providing the opportunity for career progression. These are all factors

that matter to our colleagues.”

Alli emphasised what ultimately matters in being a good employer is having colleagues who are engaged with their roles and

their organisation.

“There are huge benefi ts for an organisation in terms of staff engagement. Colleagues who are highly engaged produce results

and this has shown in the quality of roads the agency delivers and the successive unqualifi ed audit reports we have had,” said Alli

who dedicated the award to all Sanral colleagues.

Presidential Hotline a success Five years after its launch, the Presidential Hotline has recorded

remarkable success.

The hotline was established to give citizens a platform to report

and resolve queries relating to government services, especially

in cases where calls to local authorities or national departments

were not yielding results.

According to the Governance and Administration Cluster, by

March 2014, 190 000 complaints and queries had been logged

thanks to the hotline and the resolution rate was 95 per cent.

This is an improvement year-on-year from a resolution rate of 64

per cent (end of September 2010), 78 per cent (end of October

2011) and 87 per cent (end of October 2012).

Telephonic citizen satisfaction surveys for the Presidential Hot-

line indicated that by March 2014, 75 per cent of the 14 705

citizens surveyed rated the service fair to good.

• Prof. RK (Richard) Haynes of North-West University.

• Prof. CG (Cornie) van der Merwe of Stellenbosch Uni-

versity.

• Prof. BD (Brenda) Wingfi eld of the University of Pretoria.

• Prof. R (Robin) Wood of the University of Cape Town.

President Jacob Zuma listens to the concerns of the citizens on the Presidential Hotline.


ECSA.indd 112 2014/01/20 9:09 AM

internationaL reLations

World leaders tackle pressing global issues

Every year, scores of heads of state and gov-

ernment temporarily put aside the issues in

their home countries and head for the United

Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in midtown Man-

hattan, New York, to discuss critical issues facing the

globe.

The UNGA is the only platform that gathers more

than 120 world leaders under one roof. After a pe-

riod of international crises in 2014, including the

outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, this year’s General

Assembly, which took place at the UN headquarters

on 22 September, was not going to be easy.

World leaders needed to find solutions to the Eb-

ola crisis, increasing concerns over climate change

and the insurgence of extremist groups such as

the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Boko Haram in

Nigeria and the crisis in Ukraine. A brutal civil war in

Syria has already killed nearly 200 000 people and

displaced millions. This year’s GA was also crucial as it took place

ahead of the rapidly approaching target date for achieving the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

It may be easy for many people, particularly if you are in South

Africa, to see some of these as distant problems. However, the

nature of the world today and the problems of the 21st century,

as seen with the recent global financial crisis, make it difficult for

any single nation to insulate itself from global issues.

The General Assembly allocates presidents and prime ministers

15 minutes to participate in a debate on several issues affecting

the globe. While many leaders use the platform to promote their

country’s national interests, it is what they eventually agree on that

defines the success of the talks.

United States President Barack Obama, for instance, used his time

at the General Assembly debate to declare America’s war against

terrorism and extremist groups. President Obama also spent a large

part of his speech criticising Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

On the other hand, President Jacob Zuma used his speech to rally

the world behind South Africa’s campaign to transform

the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and for

Africa to have permanent seats in the council. He also

focused on the progress South Africa had made in at-

taining its MDGs.

“South Africa has recorded impressive progress

through the expansion of health infrastructure and im-

proved access to health services for all South Africans,”

President Zuma said.

While the content of the speeches delivered by

Presidents Obama and Zuma was very different, both

touched on issues the two leaders feel need the atten-

tion of the world.

When President Zuma arrived in New York The Presi-

dency issued a statement saying South Africa’s partici-

pation at the summit would be informed by national

interests and priorities, its regional and continental

commitments, as well as its aspirations for a prosper-

ous world at peace with itself.

Writer: Chris Bathembu

President Jacob Zuma addresses the United Nations General Assembly.


Therefore President Zuma’s em-

phasis on South Africa’s progress

in meeting the MDGs and the

transformation of the UNSC did

not come as a surprise.

“Some contentious aspects of

the UN system, such as the veto

powers and the exclusion of re-

gions such as Africa in the Security

Council, are some of the critical

matters that cannot be ignored

in the quest for transformation,”

President Zuma told the packed

General Assembly to applause.

But, why did President Zuma de-

cide to dedicate so much time to

these two issues? Let’s begin with

the UNSC.

The issue of reform of the UNSC

has been on the table for some

time now. The council is the UN’s

most powerful body. It helps to

shape international law and is

the first to respond to crises. The

UNSC has the power to establish peacekeeping mis-

sions, impose international sanctions and authorise

military action whenever necessary.

Only five permanent members, namely China, Russia,

Britain, France and the US, have the power to direct

the council to perform these functions. The 54-nation

African continent is represented by only three non-

permanent members without veto power in the UNSC.

This places Africa in a precarious position, considering

that most issues the UNSC has to deal with emanate

from the continent. There are many examples. The

UNSC intervened in crises in Mali without the approval

of the African Union Peace and Security Council and

there was an outcry after the NATO airstrikes in Libya

during protests that ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The only time African countries get a seat in the UNSC

is when they are elected as non-permanent members

on a rotating basis with no veto powers. The veto power

effectively gives the five countries the license to make deci-

sions for the more than 215 countries who are members of

the UN. President Zuma’s plea to the General Assembly came

amid an on-going debate that Africa should be given at least

two permanent seats in the UNSC. It’s a justifiable call, accord-

ing to one analyst.

“Veto power, seen by many as the most unfair and inequitable

law of the world, which enables a powerful and authoritative

minority to determine the fate of an indispensable and subju-

gated majority, is unquestionably an insult to the insight and

perception of the international community,” Kourosh Ziabari

wrote in Global Research recently.

Ziabari argues that the permanent members of the UNSC are

free to exercise their right of veto whenever they wish, and

nobody can question the legitimacy or justifiability of this ap-

proach. Several international organisations, lawyers and law-

makers, journalists, politicians and even statesmen have put

forward alternatives to the right of veto wielded by the big five,

but their efforts have been in vain.

With the UN marking its 70 years of existence next year, Presi-

dent Zuma pleaded with the world body to consider Africa’s

call for permanent representation in the council.

“When we converge here next year, on the 70th year of the

UN, we should be able to adopt a concrete programme that will

guide us towards a strengthened UN and a reformed Security

Council”, he said.

Away from the UNSC and the politics of transformation, the

General Assembly had to deal with another contentious matter:

the issue of the MDGs, which many African countries are not

likely to meet. The MDGs are eight goals set by the UN in 2000

and range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the

spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education

by the target date of 2015. The MDGs have been seen as the

most successful global anti-poverty push in history.

Despite the progress that the continent has made, reports

continue to show that Africa is lagging behind in terms of at-

taining some of the goals.

When he spoke at the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon credited the goals for having “helped to lift” nearly

one billion people out of extreme poverty. Ban also credited

the MDGs for increasing access to universal primary education,

reducing maternal and infant mortality by nearly 50 per cent, >>


www.sasol.com

THIS IS WHERE WETRANSFORM GAS INTO ELECTRICITY

Through South Africa’s fi rst stand-alone gas-to-power plant, that

converts natural gas into low-carbon electricity, we’re reducing

pressure on the country’s power grid. Being able to self-generate

up to 70% of our own electricity requirements, is just one way we’re

investing in South Africa’s success.

internationaL reLations

and expanding access to clean drinking water.

With less than 300 days before deadline, it’s not look-

ing good for the majority of African countries that have

signed up for these goals though. Some countries

blame political instability for their failure to meet the

MDGs, but analysts say the global economic crisis has

also slowed down growth in some countries. This meant

that budgets had to be cut and some of the goals

could not be met. Countries like Somalia, Malawi and

many in the western Sahara were affected by years of

drought, floods, lack of foreign investment and out-

breaks of disease.

For its part, South Africa has made inroads in meeting

some of the goals. This includes the country’s progress

in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger through its

social security system in the form of grants and work

opportunities linked to the Expanded Public Works

Programme.

In education, South Africa introduced no-fee schools

and universal primary education and compulsory

schooling for children aged seven to 15. The country

has also recorded major successes in the fight against

HIV and AIDS.

“South Africa has recorded impressive progress

through the expansion of health infrastructure and

improved access to health services for all South Africans,”

President Zuma told the UN.

“On the reduction of child mortality, MDG 4, and the im-

provement of maternal health, MDG 5, significant progress

has been recorded, but more work remains. In fact, more

work remains worldwide to fully achieve these goals, espe-

cially in the developing world.”

President Zuma said Africa had to confront those underly-

ing root causes that continued to make it impossible for its

people to have a better life.

There are proposals to replace the MDGs with what is be-

ing referred to as the new sustainable development goals,

which outline 17 goals and 169 targets. The MDGs have just

eight goals and 21 targets.

Ban said the new agenda should promote sustained and

inclusive economic growth, safeguard the future of the plan-

et, and lead to the achievement of sustainable development.

President Zuma said the post-2015 Global Development

Agenda would “provide a frame of reference for our collec-

tive agreement on what has to be done”.

“We reiterate that developed countries should be reliable

partners and meet their commitment to development goals,

such as contributing 0.7 per cent of their gross national

income towards Official Development Assistance,” he as-

serted.


ProVinCiaL foCUs Writer: Noluthando MkhizePhotographer: Londa Zondi

MEC Scott to rein in KZN spending

After spending nine years as chairperson of the Portfolio

Committee on Finance in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Legis-

lature, recently appointed MEC of Finance Belinda Scott is

more than prepared for the new role.

MEC Scott, who describes herself as a veteran parliamentarian

after 20 years at the legislature, says it was attention to detail that

steered her in the direction of finance.

“When I came to Parliament it was only natural that I would gravi-

tate towards finance even though I did not have a financial degree.

My attention to detail and meticulousness played a role in me being

chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Finance for nine years.”

She “loved” that role because it allowed her to develop an in-depth

knowledge of treasury.

MEC Scott is excited about her new role and eager to put in place

plans to improve the province’s finances.

“My key focus will be on financial management con-

trol. We should be actively involved in inspecting the

finances of departments. This is happening but we need

to be much more robust in our intervention.

“I’m very firm in refocusing budgets according to

strategic objectives of government and the National

Development Plan, which I know will not make me very

popular. I feel there is a lot of frills and nice to haves

that need to be removed.”

According to the MEC, some government depart-

ments can sometimes be “excessive” in their spending.

She would like to see departments scaling down the

events they host.

The expenditure of public entities will be reviewed

and events expenditure will be regulated with use be-

ing made of government buildings rather than hiring

marquees or the use of private venues and facilities.

MEC Scott also called for the provincial Budget to be

examined more closely.

“We might have had a function in the past that is no

longer relevant. Our needs and focus have changed.

We are in a situation where we are not expecting huge

inputs of new revenue. We have to do better with what

we have.”

She will give attention to financial management con-

trol and refocusing budgets according to the strategic

objectives of government and the National Develop-

ment Plan.

A passion for forensic investigations MEC Scott is determined to bring to book those found

guilty of defrauding the province.

During the 2013/14 financial year, out of the 42 cases

referred for prosecution, 12 of them (to the value of

R 271 591) were successfully prosecuted. Twenty-five

people were arrested and 37 convicted with R 61, 7

million to be paid back.

Soon after taking office the MEC called in her foren-

sic team and identified five major investigations that

needed attention.

“I want to put my efforts into accelerating the pro-

cess of litigation. I have gone as far as meeting with

the National Prosecuting Authority and the Deputy

KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Belinda Scott is more than ready for her new role.


Minister of Justice and Correctional Service to get this

process going.”

She also met with KwaZulu-Natal Judge President

Chimanlal Patel to discuss the possibility of freeing up

a court that would be dedicated to prosecuting cases

arising from the forensic investigations taking place at

provincial government departments.

“Not all forensic investigations are conducted by treas-

ury, some a conducted by departments. I want a central

database because once the forensic investigations are

complete I want to ensure that the recommendations

are carried out.

“I do not believe enough people are being prosecut-

ed. I do not believe that senior civil servants are being

held accountable for discrepancies and mismanage-

ment in departments.”

Managing contracts better The MEC said her department was currently rolling

out an administration-based contract management

system.

“Once this system is fully functional in departments, we

will then introduce an IT-based contract management

tool that will ensure better management of contracts

in the province.”

An eProcurement tool is also expected be rolled out

by the end of 2015. This will enable a standard pricing

policy for goods and services to ensure that govern-

ment is not over-charged and alleviate procurement

irregularities.

Biometric access is also in place for officials who have

access to Persal and the Basic Accounting System, by

fingerprint tracking. This allows a cleaner audit trail than

password access.

Supply chain management a problem areaShe also stressed the importance of supply chain man-

agement, saying a review of a department’s audited

financial statements usually indicated this was where

fraud and corruption crept in.

“If we had a central contract review process with an

eProcurement tool we could go a long way in address-

ing deficiencies in supply chain management. If you

pick up any audited financial statement of a department there is

just a host of huge procurement irregularities.”

Getting KZN out of financial woesMEC Scott said the province has had its fair share of financial woes,

particularly in the 2009/10 financial year, when the province had

an overdraft of R2 billion. This was a result of high spending by

the provincial departments of health and education.

The KZN Cabinet had to act quickly to bring over-expenditure

under control by devising the Provincial Recovery Plan.

“The Provincial Recovery Plan spearheaded the cost containment

measures before National Treasury introduced cost containment

measures.”

The first step was to reduce goods and services procured by de-

partments by 7,5 per cent to allow the province to start repaying

the overdraft. This was expected to take three years.

“The Provincial Recovery Plan resulted in the bank overdraft be-

ing repaid in a mere 18 months and not the initial three years.”

MEC Scott said cost containment measures were now the norm

in KwaZulu-Natal and were updated and re-issued to departments

yearly.

“If you have a look at cost containment measures, there is nothing

there that should not have been there in the first place. It’s about

good governance and ensuring that good governance principles

are adhered too.”

The MEC said provincial departments were very aware of their

responsibility to cut costs.

“I think that this province is a lot cleaner than other provinces…

You do not find a plethora of public servants travelling business

class as in the past. You do not find lavish engagements.”

No tolerance for wasteful expenditure MEC Scott explained that unauthorised expenditure occurred

when a department overspent its budget.

“Basically it spends money it doesn’t have... I do not tolerate it. We

have a cash blocking system that has been introduced by National

Treasury. When a department starts over-spending or going over

their monthly budgeted amount they are blocked.”

Operation “We Pay on Time”With complaints from service providers about government depart-

ments taking too long to pay for work procured, MEC Scott says

her province launched Operation “We Pay on Time” in 2011 to curb

the problem. >>


www. o l i v e r awa r d s . c o . z a

Leave your mark on South Africa’s future and join the legacyContact Sheri Morgan on 0860009590

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The programme is bearing fruit with 81,9 per cent

of all invoices paid within 30 days of receipt of the

invoice. A further 12,4 per cent was paid between 31

and 60 days, 3,3 per cent paid within 61 to 90 days,

and 2,4 per cent was paid after 90 days.

“There is a dedicated team that focuses on payments

of service providers. Our goal for the financial year is

to pay 90 per cent of payment within 30 days.”

The MEC was ecstatic that seven municipalities - Ut-

hungula District, Msinga, Ntambanana, Ubuhlebezwe,

uMhlathuze, Mzimkhulu and Okhahlamba (which was

once under administration) - all received clean audits

from the Auditor-General.

Municipal entities were included in the good news

with the Durban Marine Theme Park, Safe City Piet-

ermaritzburg, uThungulu House Development Trust

and uThungulu Financing Partnership also receiving

clean audits for the 2012/13 financial year.

In the previous year financial only one municipality

in KwaZulu-Natal received a clean audit.

ProVinCiaL foCUs

KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Belinda Scott.

This and thatDo you prefer traditional or gourmet food?

I am a very clean eater. I love salads and am basically

a health freak.

What is one thing that most people don’t know

about you?

I am an equestrian. I love horses. I have an ex-cham-

pion thoroughbred named Olympic.

What does your family think of your job?

My family is very supportive of my job.

How do you relax?

I love reading. I am currently reading Mrs. Sinclair's Suit-

case by Louise Walters. I love being on my own. I have

a beautiful rose garden. I sit in my garden and I read.

I love quiet spaces.

MEC Scott has served on the provincial Portfolio

Committee on Economic Development and Tour-

ism, Standing Committee on Public Accounts and

the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Govern-

ance and Traditional Affairs. She holds a Master's in

Social Sciences from the former University of Natal

now known as the University of KwaZulu-Natal


Public Sector Manager ForumPSM Writer: Albert Pule Photographer: Linda Mthombeni

Building libraries, securing a future in Limpopo

The MEC of Sports, Arts and Culture in Limpopo, Nandi

Ndalane, is on a mission to ensure that residents of the

province are well educated and she is relying on libraries

to help achieve this.

Speaking to stakeholders at a recent Public Sector Manager Fo-

rum hosted by the Musina Local Municipality in Limpopo, MEC

Ndalane said her department should work closely with munici-

palities to deliver on its mandate of building libraries across the

province.

“As a department we are responsible for the construction of

libraries at diff erent municipalities. This year we have opened

three libraries in Vhembe already.

“We build libraries because as the National Development Plan

sets out, we are responsible for nation building and social cohe-

sion. For us to achieve that we believe we should have a well-

educated population.”

During her departmental Budget Vote earlier this year, MEC

Ndalane committed her department to building more libraries

to promote the culture of reading.

“In the next few weeks we will be opening the following libraries:

Shiluvane Library in the Mopani District Municipality,

Saselamani Library in the Vhembe District Municipal-

ity, Mulati Library in the Mopani District Municipality

and Shongoane Library in the Waterberg District Mu-

nicipality.

“We have also commenced with the construction of

two new libraries at Nzhelele in the Vhembe District

Municipality and Phokwane in the Sekhukhune District

Municipality”.

In the 2014/15 fi nancial year, libraries will be built in

Rooiberg in Thabazimbi Local Municipality, Ramokgopa

in Molemole Local Municipality, and Eldorado in the

Blouberg Local Municipality.

She added that other libraries would be upgraded this

fi nancial year. “Through the same collaboration with

Public Works, the upgrading and maintenance of 18

more libraries is planned for the 2014/15 fi nancial year.

“The department is also embarking on a dual-purpose

pilot project for upgrading of school libraries.”

The department would also fi ll the libraries with learn-

Limpopo's Sports, Arts and Culture MEC Nandi Ndalane told a recent PSM Forum that her department would continue building libraries across the province.


ing materials, added the MEC.

“For this current year the department has a target of

purchasing 30 000 [items of ] library material at a cost

of R6 million. This will go a long way in equipping our

libraries with relevant material and up-to-date infor-

mation.”

Sports and culture bring people together Sports and cultural events are renowned for bringing

people from all walks of life together. Recently, the

department hosted various activities to celebrate arts

and culture in the province. This included Heritage Day

celebrations, Freedom Day in April at Makhado Munici-

pality, Africa Day at Mutale and the province will also

celebrate the Mapungubwe Arts Festival.

“All these we don’t do because we have too much

money but because they are important and are neces-

sary to do. These events bring our people together and

through them we teach each other about our heritage,

history and culture,” she said at the forum.

She added that the events hosted by the department

should be used to give artists from the province the

opportunity to learn from each other and express their

talent.

“We use these events to showcase the local talent.

Our artists learn more from each other as well.”

MEC Ndalane told the forum that municipalities

should play a role in helping the department bring

people together through sporting events by providing

infrastructure.

“As a department we do not do stadiums and play

fields. We depend on municipalities to provide that

infrastructure for us.”

She added that the department would host a sports indaba

to deal with issues facing the sports fraternity in the province.

“I am asking you to come and participate and help us im-

prove our service delivery model,” she said.

MEC Ndalane encouraged delegates at the forum to join

clubs to keep fit and participate in sporting activities.

“I encourage all of you gathered here today to help us form

walk and running clubs. We should find a way to reduce the

number of people with high blood pressure in our communi-

ties. It is possible through simply exercise such as walking.”

Delegates attending the PSM Forum listens to MEC Ndalane's plans for Limpopo's arts, culture and sports sectors.

Deputy Director-General of the Department of Communications, Harold Maloka, presents MEC Ndalane with a token of appreciation.

53

featUre Writer: Amukelani Chauke

Government to go digital to boost service delivery

From sending telegraphs to emails, from sending post cards to instantly

sharing holiday pictures with friends on Facebook, Twitter or Insta-

gram; the world of communication has evolved and entered a new era.

By using digital platforms such as Twitter, for example, the state is now

able to communicate with citizens. And this - a Public Service that moves

with the times and uses digital tools for service delivery - is what Telecom-

munications and Postal Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele wants.

Speaking to Public Sector Manager magazine, the Minister said going digi-

tal and embracing “the internet of things” was the direction in which the

Public Service was headed.

He said the time had come to introduce e-Governance, where civil serv-

ants offer citizens a user-friendly and effective way to access services.

“The key thing is how … we make sure that we increase the penetration of

Internet to South Africans. We have this policy called South Africa Connect,

which is a policy for broadband roll out … to all the areas.

“The … programme linked to that is that

we must have skills … where ordinary peo-

ple from low-level to high-level skills can

manage these networks so that they can

train people to be able to engage with this

new internet revolution.

“So the skills are going to be very key.

Ultimately we have to ensure that the gov-

ernment as a whole moves to digital stage.

They move up the technology field, they

move away from papers to using technol-

ogy to communicate with our people so

that citizens can interact much easier with

government, particularly the front-line de-

partments. That is a priority for the next

five years.”

The National Development Plan, South

Africa’s policy framework aimed at improv-

ing the lives of all South Africans by 2030,

advocates a capable and effective state

that embraces innovative ways of deliver-

ing services. Introducing e-Governance is

a step that is expected to professionalise

the Public Service.

Moving from paper to digital services

would also help reduce long queues at

government departments and improve

the time it takes to serve a customer, the

Minister said.

For example, customers wanting to visit

the Department of Transport to register

or renew their vehicle registration papers

could download application forms in the

comfort of their homes, fill out the forms

electronically and save them.

The customer would then go to the de-

partment with a filled out application form,

meaning a shorter waiting time.

Minister Cwele said e-Governance could

even address the late delivery of learning

material to primary and high school learn-

ers.

“If we connect our schools … students

will be able to download the [learning

material] because they have access to the

Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele.


internet. We won’t have a problem of printing books

and distributing books like we had in other provinces;

we can have a mechanism of buying these books elec-

tronically and put them on the internet and the learners

can read them any time on a tablet, which we will be

able to issue every child in the future.

“It also changes the teaching methodology, where

you can have one teacher teaching hundreds or thou-

sands of students at different schools at the same time

if the schools are connected,” he explained.

The Minister said e-Governance could also extend to

the distribution of health services.

One way to ensure a healthy nation, which is one of

government’s top priorities, is to have people in remote

areas linked to advanced areas where there were spe-

cialists, he noted.

“… There is e-Health and the starting phase will be

in the pilot projects of the National Health Insurance

(NHI), which will try to connect to those areas.”

Minister Cwele also said there were plans to corpora-

tise Postbank – the South African Post Office Bank - to

roll out banking services to rural areas.

The process was currently with the Reserve Bank and

that he hoped it would be finalised soon.

Infrastructure audit underwayThe Minister added that for e-Governance to be rolled

out effectively it was necessary to ensure that depart-

ments across all spheres of government shared tech-

nological infrastructure and that no infrastructure was

duplicated. This move is expected to save millions of

rands.

“There is a programme now in the department where

we are engaging with local government and provincial

government to see how we can coordinate this thing

to ensure that we invest e–wisely to ensure that we

don’t have unnecessary redundancy.

“That dialogue is on-going; our officials have visited

many of our provinces right now. They are still going

to visit other provinces because the policy talks about

infrastructure sharing and connection. So they are look-

ing at all these things to have an audit of the infrastruc-

ture. We have to avoid duplicate investments,” he said.

e-Governance is part of the department’s overall

information and communications technology (ICT )

policy, but government cannot not do it alone.

The Minister said there was a need to forge partnerships with the

private sector so that infrastructure sharing could speed up the much-

needed digital transition.

“During my first week in office I engaged with most of the depart-

ment's stakeholders. I am starting now to engage with private stake-

holders.

“The key thing is how do you maximise the capacity we have as gov-

ernment and how do we then direct the private sector to invest where

we can have visible returns? … As government we are not going to

be able to roll out this network on our own. We need … collaboration

with the private sector.

“We must find a way in which we will talk to the private sector in a

manner that will encourage them to invest in the public sector.”

He said beyond infrastructure, it was important to equip people with

the skills they need to operate and manage it.

In that regard, his department was working closely with the Depart-

ments of Basic Education and Higher Education to ensure that young

people, particularly women, were trained as technicians and engineers.

Other programmes, the Minister added, would include giving public

servants the skills they need to use the new technologies required to

roll out the digital programme.

Brace for a technological revolutionThe Minister said government was doing all it could to prepare South

Africans for a “technological revolution” that was set to change lives.

Government was cognisant of international information and com-

munication technologies (ICTs) developments and would strive to

bring the same level of development to the country, he added.

By 2025, the world’s population would have moved “from having

no or limited Internet access to having total access - most probably

through a mobile device”, added Minister Cwele.

He said the growing use of ICTs had become characteristic of the >>


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era in which South Africans live, adding that currently

over 2, 4 billion people worldwide were connected to

the internet.

“The rapid manner in which ICTs continue to trans-

form all aspects of our lives [is] acknowledged. The

World Economic Forum highlighted the shift towards

‘the internet of things’.

“Simply put, it refers to the growing number of de-

vices that are connected to the internet, and to each

other. Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG)

predicts some 25 billion devices will be connected by

2015, and 50 billion by 2020,” said the Minister.

Cisco South Africa partnered with the then Commu-

nications Department in 2009 to train higher education

students to become computer technicians.

Minister Cwele said the NDP called for people to be

“e-literate” by 2030.

He said while only 33 per cent of internet traffic was

generated from non-PC (personal computer) devices

in 2013, it was predicted that 57 per cent of internet

traffic would emanate from non-PC devices by 2018.

“This is the world we have to prepare for. Among the

priorities [the NDP] highlights is improving the quality

of education, skills development and innovation.

“I urge both Cisco and our universities to continue on

this path of collaboration and innovation in delivering

skills and learning solutions to especially our youth,”

the Minister added.

Minister Cwele said providing better access to educa-

tional opportunities would have a positive impact on

the quality of life of all people as well as the economic

prosperity of the country.

He said the shortage of ICT skills in South Africa and

the African continent was an opportunity to be seized.

“Ensuring that the young men and women of our country have

not only the e-skills, but also the e-astuteness to take advantage

of the advent of the society of the ‘internet of things’ is vital to

reaching this target and overcoming the challenge of poverty,

inequality and joblessness facing South Africa.”

Keeping up with the timesThe Minister said while the country was heralding new ways of

communicating, a section of the population was still holding onto

ancient methods for dear life.

“One of our entities was telling me that they are being taken to

court by one of our clever South Africans because they are still

using the telegram, so we will be watching this court case with

interest.

“He says because of us phasing out the telegram, he can no

longer communicate with his friends. So I was suggesting to the

entity that they must donate some of these telegram machines

to his house,” he quipped.

What keeps Minister Cwele up at night?The Minister said one of the issues that occupied his mind was

whether it would be possible to empower all South Africans.

“If we can have them using these e-skills, it will empower them

immensely,” he pointed out.

Meeting the target of rolling out government’s broadband strat-

egy also kept him tossing and turning at the night.

“The last one, which is the important objective, is how do we en-

sure that the cost to communicate is brought down? That is going

to be the challenge that we as the country and the industry must

work on because it is only when [communicating] is affordable

to the ordinary person, including the poor, that they can have a

meaningful impact in our development,” Minister Cwele added.


featUre Writer: Cecilia de Vos Belgraver

Rights of persons with disabilities entrenched in democratic SA

As the country celebrates 20 Years of Freedom, it can

also commemorate another milestone –20 years of

rights for persons with disabilities in South Africa.

The country marks National Disability Rights Awareness

Month between 3 November and 3 December – which is

also International Day of Persons with Disabilities – every year.

The theme for 2014 is "Celebrating 20 years of the rights

of persons with disabilities in our Democracy! Together we

move South Africa forward through radical socio-economic

transformation".

In addition, in February, Minister for Social Development

Bathabile Dlamini announced 2014 as the Year of the Rights

of Children with Disabilities.

The focus is on promoting and protecting the rights of chil-

dren and young persons with disabilities and in particular,

those with autism and albinism.

20 years of rights for persons with disabilitiesIn the early 1990s Disabled People South Africa

(DPSA) coordinated a national campaign to give

people with disabilities the opportunity to express

their hopes and expectations of what democracy

would mean to them.

The DPSA emerged in response to the “double”

discrimination black people living with dis-

abilities experienced. It mobilised people

with disabilities far and wide, including

those rural areas and peri-urban com-

munities suffering under the yoke of

poverty. It grew into an organisation

of activists fighting discrimination

on the basis of race and disability.

In the early 1990s the DPSA

emphasised the right of people

with disabilities to self-repre-

sentation. The organisation also high-

lighted the need for integration

and full participation in society.

As a result of the DPSA’s

discussions with role-

players, activists for

people with disabili-

ties gained access to

positions in govern-

ment and were able

to influence policy making. The Disability Rights

Charter was adopted in 1992 by most organisa-

tions representing people with disabilities. The

Charter sets out 18 rights that people with dis-

abilities demand including non-discrimination, educa-

tion, employment, health and rehabilitation, the right

to take part in sport and recreation, access to housing

and social security, affordable and adequate transport

and independent living.

Looking aheadIn his June 2014 State of the Nation Address, President

Jacob Zuma committed the current administration

to equitable outcomes for persons with disabilities.

A month later it was announced that a Presidential

Working Group on Disability would to be established.

On the global front, in June the United Nations Open

Working Group on the Sustainable Development

Goals released a “Zero Draft” of Goals and Targets for

the Sustainable Development Goals after 2015. This

document mainstreams disability across the goals,

giving life to the principles and articles of the Con-

vention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

(CRDP), and focusing on persons with disabilities

as both beneficiaries and contributors to the post-

2015 development agenda.


Achievement of rights commemoratedDisability Right Awareness Month 2014 highlights the

accomplishments of South Africa’s disability rights

activists in ensuring all people with disabilities gain

recognition as full citizens with equal rights. These

include:

• Placing disability on the national liberation strug-

gle agenda.

• The democratisation of dis-

ability service organisations

leading to the emergence

of representative organisa-

tions of, among others, deaf

persons, people with psy-

chosocial disabilities, physi-

cal disabilities and people

with albinism. This ensures

persons with disabilities par-

ticipate in their governance

structures.

• Establishing a national dis-

ability focal point in The Presidency following

government’s decision to mainstream disability

across government programmes and approach it

as a human rights issue.

• Institutionalising the mainstreaming of disability

rights across government resulting in disability

rights/equity managers, in all government institu-

tions across all spheres of government becoming

the norm and leading to improvements in service

delivery to people in rural areas.

• Ratifying the CRDP and its Optional

Protocol in 2007 (the CRDP recognises

disability as an evolving concept).

• Formalising National Dis-

ability Rights Awareness

Month, which ends of-

ficially on the UN In-

ternational Day of

Persons with Dis-

abilities, which came about after the

UN appealed to member states in 1992

to dedicate 3 December to reflection

on and promotion of issues of persons

with disabilities to advance equitable

opportunities.

• The right to self-representation

at national, provincial and local level,

and through public institutions such

as the South African Human Rights

Council, the Commission on Employ-

ment Equity, the National Develop-

ment Agency, the Pan South African

Language Board and the South Afri-

can National Aids Council.

• International solidarity with South Africa participating in

the annual UN Conference of States Parties to the CRPD

since the CRPD came into force in 2008.

This year Disability Rights Awareness Month also aims

to provide a platform for progress to be highlighted and

celebrated; remaining barriers to having inclusive and car-

ing communities to be isolated; and the fostering of agree-

ment on priorities in the next five years, including gen-

erating awareness of disability as a human rights matter.

The day before Disability Rights Awareness Month draws

to a close the National Disability Awards, hosted by the

Insurance Industry SETA and, among others, government

will be held.

The achievements of persons with disabilities, who have

accomplished remarkable successes or contributed sig-

nificantly to the South African community, and people

within communities who have contributed to the disability

sector, will be celebrated at this gala event.

The theme for 2014 is:

"Celebrating 20 years of

the rights of persons with

disabilities in our

Democracy! Together we

move South Africa forward

through radical socio-

economic transformation".


featUre Writer: Albert Pule

Back to basics for local government

Delegates at the Presidential Local Govern-

ment Summit pledged to serve their com-

munities better and become trustworthy

servants of the people.

The delegates, from all spheres of government,

gathered in Midrand to discuss and come up with

new ways of addressing the problems plaguing the

sector.

“[We] declare to do our best to make local govern-

ment work and serve our people better. We commit

to be the servants of the people and trustworthy

agents at their service,” read a

statement of intent that del-

egates agreed to at the end of

the summit.

Among the delegates led by

President Jacob Zuma were

minsters and their deputies,

premiers, members of the ex-

ecutive councils, mayors, the

South African Local Government Association, mu-

nicipal officials and civil society.

Apart from committing to serving communi-

ties better, the delegates also agreed on to follow

through on a simple and effective approach - the

“Back to Basics” approach to local government.

“We embrace the “Back to Basics” approach in ad-

dressing the challenges facing local government

and declare to strengthen local government in order

to move our country forward,” said the statement.

Under the “Back to Basics” approach, local govern-

ment will spend public funds carefully, hire compe-

tent staff, ensure transparency and will be account-

able to the people it serves.

The approach stipulates that municipalities should

do the basic things rights - from fixing robots, leaking

taps and broken street lights to cutting grass, repairing

pavements and patching potholes.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional

Affairs Pravin Gordhan said all municipalities should

work differently, serve communities better and respond

to their concerns within a reasonable time.

“Complaints are that we don’t take people seriously

and often take more time to respond. Sometimes we

take three days to respond to something

that could take one day. We need to

change that and respond to problems

timeously,” said Minister Gordhan.

For local government to work effec-

tively and make a positive impact on the

lives of residents, political leadership and

administrators need to play an impor-

tant role, he added.

“All of us are accountable to change people’s lives and

create better prospects for the economy.”

The summit committed to doing the simple things

correctly to improve the local government system.

“Inspired by the leadership and guidance provided

by the President of the Republic of South Africa, [we]

recommit ourselves to advance the objects of develop-

mental local government,” delegates pledged.

Minister Gordhan said that to help local government

prosper, national government would support, moni-

tor, intervene and ensure that there was adherence to

norms and standards.

The “Back to Basics” approach also suggests four

“All of us are

accountable to change

people’s lives and create

better prospects for the

economy.”


Government will implement the Back to Basics programme that will ensure South Africans receive consistent municipal services.

priority areas to help local government function better.

These are:

Priority 1: The aim is for municipalities in a dysfunc-

tional state to perform, at the very least, the basic func-

tions of local government.

Priority 2: Support will be given to municipalities that

are functional but are not doing enough in critical

areas of service, to progress to a higher path. Here

the focus will be on building strong municipal ad-

ministrative systems and processes, and ensuring

that administrative positions are filled with compe-

tent and committed people whose performance is

closely monitored.

Priority 3: Municipalities that are performing well

will be incentivised by being given greater flexibility

and control over their resources and grants.

Priority 4: There will be a targeted and vigorous

response to corruption and fraud, and a zero toler-

ance approach to ensure that these are rooted out.

Supply chain management practices in municipali-

ties will be closely scrutinised and where corruption

and mismanagement have been identified, it will be

dealt with decisively through provisions such as asset

forfeiture and civil claims.

Delegates at the summit committed to:1. Implement the “Back to Basics” programme.

2. Create conditions for decent living by consistently

delivering municipal services to the right quality and

standard. This includes the planning and delivery of

infrastructure and amenities, as well as maintenance.

3. Ensure good governance and effective administra-

tion, cut wastage, spend public funds prudently, hire

competent staff, ensure transparency and account-

ability, and root out corruption.

4. Ensure sound financial management and account-

ing by prudently managing resources so as to sus-

tainably deliver services and bring development to

communities.

5. Build and maintain sound institutional and admin-

istrative capabilities managed by dedicated and

skilled personnel at all levels.

6. Put people and their concerns first and ensure con-

stant contact with communities through effective

public participation platforms.

7. Ensure quarterly performance monitoring and re-

porting on the work of municipalities as directed

by the “Back to Basics” approach.

8. Improve the political management of municipalities

and be responsive to the needs and aspirations of

local communities.

Minister Gordhan said his department would em-

brace the “Back to Basics” approach and strengthen

local government to move South Africa forward.


The MEC of Human Settlements, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo has restored calm in Bekkersdal in the West of Gauteng.

Bekkersdal had been engulfed by service delivery protests for some time, which had reached its peak, before the recent elections.

After numerous meetings with the community leadership of Bekkersdal ( the Greater Westonaria Concern Residents Association, or GWCRA) behind closed doors , the parties agreed on a way forward.

MEC Mamabolo and the GWCRA toured the area to understand the challenges faced by the residents.

These engagements have paved the way for new projects in the area, which aim to improve the lives of its inhabitants.

The projects include a R300 million sewer upgrade project, handing over of 1200 completed houses in Westonaria Borwa, cleaning up of the township, improvement of ablution facilities, as well as provision of water taps and electricity for the local informal settlement, and building of a new school.

These projects were revealed to the residents by the MEC, while speaking at local sportsfields.

“These are high-impact service delivery projects which will drastically improve the unacceptable living conditions in Bekkersdal, whilst also contributing to the local economy through job creation and sub-contracting”, said MEC Mamabolo.

In response to the recurring demand that the municipality be placed under administration, MEC Mamabolo informed the community that the office of the Auditor-General was investigating the allegations of corruption and maladministration, and that action would be taken, once the full report was submitted.

“We are also in the process to appoint a forensic auditor to investigate other allegations of corruption within the Bekkersdal Urban Renewal Project (BURP). If it is indeed true that state funds were abused, those responsible must account,” added MEC Mamabolo.

MEC Mamabolo said the Department of Human Settlements will release the names of 5000 people who are on the housing list of Bekkersdal.

“The list will be shared with ward committees, residents associations and other structures. Those not on the list, must register,” MEC Mamabolo said.

CALM RESTORED IN BEKKERSDAL

Department Profi le

Gauteng MEC of Human Settlements Jacob Mamabolo (in striped shirt), cleans Bekkersdal with community members. Photo by Amanda Khoza

Danville- one of the mixed housing projects in Gauteng. Photo by Amanda Khoza

The MEC for Human Settlements in Gauteng, Jacob Mamabolo has committed R4, 4 Billion towards all housing programmes within the Department. This was revealed during his maiden Budget Vote speech at the Gauteng legislature after inauguration of new Gauteng administration.

The MEC said that the department will ensure that this budget allocation translates into new hopes for the many citizens who look up to the Department to provide for their basic needs of housing.

MEC Mamabolo said that the Gauteng of 2014 is much different and better than that of the period before 1994, proving the success of the first 20 years of Freedom and Democracy. He also noted that there is also no doubt that significant progress had been made since 2009 to transform society and to improve the living conditions of the people.

MEC Mamabolo paid tribute to the late Joe Slovo, who was the first Minister of the then National Department of Housing in the first democratic government led by late President Nelson Mandela. Mamabolo remembered the words of the late former Minister Joe Slovo when he said, “Housing is central to the rebuilding of this country, not only in economic terms, but also in terms of cohesion of families and our society as a whole.” In the light of this vision by the late Joe Slovo, MEC Mamabolo said they have undertaken major interventions to enhance housing in Gauteng and to address the major issues around Human Settlements, which include accelerating housing delivery, improved spatial planning, enhanced land utilisation and so on.

The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has intervened with the hope to restore people’s dignity in a very fundamental way. That is why in Gauteng alone in the past 20 years; over 1 million human settlements opportunities were provided through houses, units and serviced stands: ensuring that millions of citizens have a roof over their heads and that they live securely with their families.

The MEC said as the country continued to celebrate 20 years of democracy, when one looks back to the first houses that were built in the 1990s and those that are being built now, through the Breaking New Ground (BNG) strategy, there is a huge difference in the designs and in the location of new developments. “We have heard people saying they prefer to sell their bonded houses because the RDP houses are just as beautiful, if not better”, said MEC Mamabolo.

The MEC said in the 2014/15 financial year, the Department of Human Settlements has put more than R50m to procure land parcels that are well located for the construction of mixed development human settlements and to provide affordably priced rental accommodation in Gauteng.

He said this was in line with new efforts on land management and utilisation that seeks and helps to contribute qualitatively and add convenience to residents’ lives through easy access to work and services such as water, electricity, health, education, transport nodes and so on.

“One of the priorities of our government is the integration of

all racial groups through housing. This will remain significant in building sustainable human settlements and a cohesive society. Part of deracialising housing in South Africa is to nullify the perception that government-subsidised houses are for Black people only. We have seen today that poverty knows no colour or race. All qualifying South Africans must apply for government subsidies, irrespective of their historical background” said MEC Mamabolo.

The MEC further said that one of the new innovations will be to invest in biometric fingerprint technology to ensure that the department sanitises the Waiting Lists and that houses are allocated to the rightful beneficiaries.

“This will be a major milestone in using technology to ensure that the poor masses who have been waiting for years finally receive their homes. Through this process no person will have more than one RDP houses and we would have gone a long way in dealing with reported housing corruption” said MEC.Mamabolo emphasised that allocating a house to a rightful owner was not enough. Government still needs to go further and ensure security of tenure for all these beneficiaries. Certainty and proof of ownership is often a concern in the absence of a valid document. There are still thousands of people who have taken ownership of their houses years ago and yet do not have title deeds today. The process of issuing title deeds will thus be accelerated.

MEC Mamabolo concluded that the department needs to work harder to ensure the transformation of the human settlement plans to respond to various spatial and economic development corridors. A transformed spatial landscape will give hope to citizens. It will result in the establishment of new post-apartheid settlements where diverse housing products are encouraged and supported within one settlement in order to bring citizens of all races and income groups together.

Together, moving the Gauteng City Region forward.

BILLIONS ALLOCATED FOR HOUSING PROGRAMMES – REFLECTIONS ON THE BUDGET VOTE

Jacob Mamabolo’s political consciousness emerged at an early age informed by the harsh political and economic circumstances of the time. Restless and decisive, he took a decision to become a student activist and served as President of the South African Student Congress (SASCO).

MEC Mamabolo has extensive public service and leadership experience accumulated over many years both in senior management positions and political activism.

He is the Provincial Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), and a Provincial Executive Committee member of the African National Congress. In his youth, he served as National Co-ordinator of the Young Communist League Steering Committee that later gave birth to the Young Communist League in 2003.

After completing high school, his professional career took shape when he enrolled and studied teaching. His leadership and activism did not go unnoticed. He was elected as the President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) while studying at Mokopane Teachers College.

This paved the way for him to take up leadership roles within the teachers’ union – South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu). After teaching, he went on to study law at the University of Pretoria.

He then worked as a civil servant for over 10 years, starting as an Office Manager for the former Deputy Minister of the

Department of Correctional Services. He also worked for the Department of Home Affairs as a Parliamentary Liaison Officer and rose through the ranks to become the Chief of Staff.

MEC Mamabolo was appointed Project Manager of the Home Affairs Turn-Around Strategy, which is recognised as one of the best practice models in the public sector.

He was head of the Home Affairs 2010 Soccer World Cup Project. Following his success in the World Cup, he was appointed Chief Director responsible for Ports of Entry.

Before his current appointment, MEC Mamabolo was head of Change Management, supporting the Turn-Around Strategy in the National Department of Public Works.

MEC Mamabolo has a passion for education and knowledge. His qualif ications include a Senior Diploma in Teaching, a degree in law (B. Proc), and a Master ’s Degree in Public Administration.

He is a registered PHD, Public Administration student with the University of South Africa. MEC Mamabolo has special professional interests in turn-around strategies, change management and project management.

AN EXPERIENCED LEADERAND ENDURING ACTIVIST

MEC of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs- Jacob Mamabolo

Department Profi le

EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY AT ANY COST

The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements will strive for service delivery at any cost; this is a message from new Head of Department Daphney Ngoasheng.

Ngoasheng, who took over the helm of the department in July 2014, has hit the ground running saying that it was important to accept the status quo of the Department in order to change it for the benefit of the growing Gauteng population.

“The department is going to move from disjointed and uncoordinated planning and delivery – to integrated and coordinated planning as a provincial department.

“It is important that we shift from small, sporadic, and scattered project – to integrated, mixed use, densified and inclusive ones,” she said.

Ngoasheng said that the department would move away from building in the periphery and prefer projects closer to the city centre, amenities, and economic activity.The HOD’s approach will further fortify and intensify the shift from housing to human settlements. The HOD cautioned that it was important for the Department to think about the future as most decisions in Human Settlements Department have long lead time and they take long time to implement.

“We need to make certain decisions far in advance before implementing them, to avoid chaos and make sure it’s service delivery at any cost,” she said.

Under her leadership Ngoasheng said the department will have a planning horizon, conduct research and feasibility studies,

forecasts, and have a clear priority list.

Ngoasheng stressed that although she would push for service delivery at all costs, that did not mean that the department should be exposed to risk. She said that in every project a risk profile must be done to identify and measure the exposure of the Department.

The HOD said risk exposure to the Department should always be reduced and, if unavoidable, be managed properly and timeously. Ngoasheng said the plan to fight illegal and unethical acts in the department must fit into the strategy of the department.

“We need to empower employees with information; they must have booklets that clearly tell them what to do when they witness fraud and corruption.”

Ngoasheng further insists that there must be enough capacity to carry out monitoring and evaluation and making sure it is carried out effectively and is reported on.

Ngoasheng said that even though emphasis was on planning, the department still needed to plan for budget implementation and how is it going to be monitored.“We have to emphasise on how budget reporting is going to be done, how to account for the funds allocated and what will be the remedial action should there be contraventions,” she said

Ngoasheng said that every employee of the Department including her will be subjected to monitoring and evaluation to make sure everyone plays their part as expected.

GAUTENGDEPARTMENT OFHUMAN SETTLEMENTS

New Head of Department- Daphney Ngoasheng

Contact us:37 Sauer Street, corner Albertina Sisulu,

Marshalltown2107

Tel: +27 11 355 4000Fax: +27 11 355 4000


16 Days of Activism – take a stand against violence

For 16 days South Africa will unite to champion the rights and

protection of women and children, as the country marks 16

Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children.

Themed “Working together to fight violence against women and

children” South Africa’s 16th countrywide campaign for 16 Days of

Activism for No Violence against Women and Children will start on

25 November and run until 3 December 2014.

During this time South Africa will also mark World Aids Day on

1 December and the International Day for People with Disabilities

on 3 December.

Championed by the Ministry of Women in The Presidency, the

16 Days of Activism campaign is part of a United-Nations endorsed

international initiative and also ties in with the Southern African

Development Community’s (SADC) Declaration on the Prevention

and Eradication of Violence Against Women and Children.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of and help eradicate

gender-based violence and violence towards children.

Gender-based violence takes place in the context where the victim

is female and not on an equal footing with the male responsible

for the abuse. Violence is directly specifically at women or affects

them disproportionately. It includes physical, sexual and psycho-

logical abuse.

Campaign activities will include targeted unique and

also province-specific actions such as providing infor-

mation at hot-spots, taxi ranks and shopping malls and

disseminating information and sensitising citizens by

going door-to-door in communities. Posters, flyers, and

advertisements in public spaces will advertise govern-

ment and civil society programmes and services in

tackling gender-based violence.

This year the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence

against Women and Children drive aims to get men

involved in working together and instilling hope; high-

light that every citizen can make a contribution to re-

ducing violence. It encourages community members

to become activists, illustrating that violence against

women and children is a community responsibility and

not a problem for victims to deal with in isolation.

Making men part of the solutionWith men usually the perpetrators of violence against

women and children, the focus of the campaign’s initia-

tives is to get men to help on board to help eradicate

the problem. The campaign has identified various ways

This year's campaign aims to get men involved in the fight against violence directed at women and children.


to encourage greater participation by men.

Men can be confronted in various institutional con-

texts, educated about the problem of gender-based

violence and encouraged to take action and be activ-

ists. The campaign also seeks to reach out to men who

at some point were on the receiving end of, or were

exposed to, violence.

With taxi drivers and owners almost exclusively male

and interacting with more than 14 million people a

day, and having an influence on those around them,

it is important that the campaign connect with this

segment of society.

There are several other groups and people in society

who have influence over communities and can there-

fore educate citizens about gender-based violence and

violence against children.

Faith-based organisations are spread across society,

reaching urban, peri-urban, rural and even informal

settlements and can work with citizens to identify at-

tainable means of reducing gender-based violence.

Churches and faith-based organisations can also play

a part in the rehabilitation of offenders.

As the largest social grouping in South Africa, the

youth are in a position to bring about change. South

Africa’s turbulent history has shown that the youth can

be powerful agents of social change. The campaign

sees in- and out-of-school youth formations being mo-

bilised to exert positive peer pressure and find solutions

to issues of particular relevance to the youth.

Another powerful group is that of traditional leaders.

These decision-makers have a great deal of influence in

rural areas and can influence the traditions, culture and

rites performed in their provinces and communities.

In making themselves heard they could be a powerful

voice against gender-based violence.

Trade unions and politicians are also in a position to

influence male attitudes towards women and children.

Politicians represent their constituents and can influ-

ence government policy and decision-making. Trade

unions are power blocs that have the expertise to raise

awareness among union members and also to influ-

ence employers to adopt policies and procedures that

protect the rights, safety and dignity of women in the workplace.

Rehabilitated perpetrators can also make a difference. Research

shows growing acceptance of the need to encourage victims and

perpetrators of family violence to engage with one another as part

of formal programmes and for rehabilitated offenders to take on the

role of volunteers against violence.

Legislative contextThe 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children

aims to entrench the Bill of Rights and other legislation that exists

to guarantee the dignity of citizens. Government has enacted the

following legislation to address violence:

• Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act,

2000 to ensure that women have equal enjoyment of rights and

freedoms, in addressing the wrongs of the past.

• Employment Equity Act, 1998 to encourage equitable representation

of women and other historically disadvantaged persons at all levels

of public and private entities.

• Maintenance Act, 1998 to ensure that maintenance for the child is

recovered from the parents or other persons financially responsible

for the child.

• Domestic Violence Act, 1998 to afford survivors of violence maximum

protection from domestic abuse.

• Children’s Act, 2005 and Children’s Amendment Act, 2007 to protect

children from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation.

Government has also ratified the Convention on the Elimination

and Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The SADC Protocol on

Gender and Development states that SADC Member States would,

by 2015, have enacted legislation that fights sexual harassment.

All South Africans must take a stand against violence.


featUre Writer: Noluthando MkhizePhotographer: Katlholo Maifadi

Thabong Police Station scoops top award

Earning the title of leading police station in South Africa

takes dedication and hard work.

This honour was bestowed upon Thabong Police Station

at the South African Police Service’s Annual National Excellence

Awards.

It was the proudest moment of his career, says Brigadier Cois

Muller, the leader of this winning team. Commenting on the

award Brigadier Muller says “this shows what can be achieved

with team work in any police station.”

A true blue blood, all Brigadier Muller ever wanted was to be

a policeman and to serve the public.

Thabong Police Station is about 140 kilometres from Bloem-

fontein in the Free State.

The Sesotho word ‘thabong’ means “a place of happiness”, which

the police members at the station try to provide when serving

the public.

During PSM’s recent visit to the station the temperature out-

doors had plummeted to a bitterly cold four degrees Celsius. In

stark contrast, there was a warm atmosphere indoors because

of the staff’s shared commitment to working together

and serving the community.

Besides being South Africa’s leading police station

for 2014, for the past three years Thabong Police Sta-

tion has held onto the title of finest police station in

the Free State.

Thabong Police Station also scooped nine awards at

the first annual Thabong Cluster Prestige Excellence

Awards last year.

Winning ways

In identifying the leading police station in the country

the judges assess a number of things, including the

station’s methods of fighting crime, customer service,

the cleanliness of the police station and the reaction

time when serving the community.

The management of Thabong Police Station use sev-

eral methods to fight crime, which include mobilising

the community against crime and enhancing the cor-

porate image of the police.

They also visit crèches, schools, the elderly, gangs,

victims of shack fires and taverns to inform the com-

munity of the dangers of crime and how to work with

the police to make Thabong a better place.

The police station has external role players, which

include the Family and Marriage Association of South

Africa and the Matjhabeng Rape Intervention Care

Centre, provided by the station’s 24-hour Community

Service Centre (CSC). Creative solutions to streamline

proceedings in the CSC include establishing a separate

certification office and a mobile CSC to bring policing

services to the people of Thabong.

There is also a 24-hour Detective Service Centre that

was established to improve reaction time and service

delivery.

The station has a 20 minute turnaround time when

responding to the scene of a crime.

As the leading police station in South Africa, Thabong

Brigadier Cois Muller of the Thabong Police Station in the Free State.


Police Station won R15 000 from the Department of

Police, which Brigadier Muller says will go towards new

equipment for the Victim Empowerment Centre.

Brigadier Muller manages a budget of R8,5 million

and has a staff complement of 320 members. Thabong

Police Station serves a community of about 135 000

people.

Local challenges

Muller says the challenges in the area range from illegal

mining and illegal immigrants from Lesotho, Mozam-

bique and Malawi to alcohol abuse, which fuels other

crimes.

In the past the area of Thabong was rich with gold

mines which attracted migrant workers from other

countries.

“Some of the mines have closed down and you find

people digging for gold dust which they mix with

chemicals and it produces a small stone-size gold.”

To try and curb this problem the station runs a num-

ber of outreach programmes and informs the com-

munity about illegal mining, by working together with

the Community Policing Forum (CPF).

Speaking on the matter alcohol abuse, Brigadier Mul-

ler points out that the area of Thabong has 115 taverns.

“We meet with tavern owners and look at ways that

we can work together at curbing alcohol abuse. If there is a facility

operating without a liquor licence we perform a sting operation and

confiscate the alcohol,” says Brigadier Muller.

He adds the police station runs liquor-abuse campaigns, searches

taverns regularly and try to ensure that taverns are weapon-free zones.

He adds that to combat crime and ensure service delivery there have

to be strong ties with the community.

Sector policing

As part of sector policing, the station has divided Thabong into four

sectors. “Each sector has its own sub-CPF forum with a sector com-

mander from the station.”

This is broken down to community patrollers and street committees

in the different sectors of Thabong.

Brigadier Muller says Thabong Police Station has 482 trained com-

munity patrollers who wear reflective jackets, work in 12 wards and

who have developed street committees as part of the CPF.

He adds that teams of detectives investigate crime within the four

sectors into which the area has been divided.

“The teams investigate crime in allocated sectors and attend sector

meetings with the CPF and the community. This assists in giving the

community feedback on how far the process of investigation has gone,

with the aim of informing the community on the progress of a case.”

Within each of the four sectors police members are responsible for

analysing crime, identifying crime hotspots and coordinating informa-

tion. >>

Brigadier Cois Muller and his team believing in serving the public with a smile.


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Community projects

As part of an annual programme the station appoints a junior

station commander from one of the 19 schools for which the

police station is responsible.

The junior station commander’s job is to take policing to

schools and to strengthen school safety measures.

“We do this to teach children about the wrongness of crime

and to encourage them to work with the police in the fight

against crime.”

The police station’s other community projects focus on drugs

and alcohol awareness, women and children’s rights and il-

legal firearms.

Serving as policeman is a calling

Brigadier Muller says that after serving in the police service

for 40 years he would not be anywhere else and is proud of

his achievements.

He grew up on a farm in the area of Maclear in the Eastern

Cape and joined the then South African Police in 1974.

He started his career at Queenstown Police Station as a Stu-

dent Constable. Later he moved to Cambridge Police Station in

East London and then to Aliwal-North, also in the Eastern Cape.

In 1981 he acquired a diploma in policing from the Depart-

ment of Education. The next year he was promoted to the rank

of Lieutenant at the Ladysmith Police Station in KwaZulu-Natal

where he served as station commander.

In 1985 he became Captain at the Park Road Police Station

in Bloemfontein, and later joined the Batho Police Station in

Bloemfontein, also as station commander. “I have headed five

police stations in my career. My experience of 40 years taught

me how to work with people and to manage a police station.”

After being station commander of Batho Police Station he

joined the district office as a visible policing officer and later

became the head of the visible policing unit.

“When I was provincial head I was responsible for uniforms

and the management of community service centres and police

station operations.”

While serving as provincial head of visible policing in 2009,

he requested that his superiors deploy him in a police station,

which was where his passion lay.

“I was missing the interaction with the community and the

members of the SAPS. Community work gives me more job

satisfaction than sitting in an office. This is where I want to be.

I am satisfied in this position.”

He said being a policeman was a calling and it needed dedi-

This and that How do you relax?

I love caravan camping and being outdoors.

Which is your favourite holiday

destination?

Balito in Durban.

What is your favourite food?

I love a braai. I am a red meat person – I love a

piece of steak.

What does you family think of your job?

My wife is also in the police service so she un-

derstands if I need to go to the station in the

middle of the night. Otherwise they respect

my profession.

cation. “Being a policeman comes with a lot of stress. If

you are going to do it for the sake of having a job it will

frustrate you. You have to love what you do.”

Regarding the changes he has seen in South Africa

and now that the country is celebrating 20 Years of

Freedom, Brigadier Muller says there is still room for

improvement. “We address crime in a more professional

way. We include the community with the CPF structures

which was not there before.”

He adds that he will stay committed to the service

until he retires because being a policeman is what he

knows best.

featUre


featUre Writer: Amukelani Chauke

Taking stock of departments’ performance

Service delivery is and has always been top of the

list of government priorities. Improving the lives

of all South Africans remains the ultimate goal, so

the improvement in departments whose performance

was assessed over the past year comes as good news.

The Ministry in the Presidency for Performance, Plan-

ning, Monitoring and Evaluation conducted its annual

departmental assessments across 155 national and pro-

vincial departments and found that the assessments,

which were first introduced in 2011, were having an

impact.

Annually, the quality of departments’ management

practices in four compliance areas, which cut across 14

delivery outcomes, are assessed.

The results of the Management Performance Assess-

ment Tool (MPAT), which were recently presented to

Parliament’s Performance, Planning, Monitoring and

Evaluation Portfolio Committee, revealed that in 2013,

69 out of 155 departments were found to be compli-

ant or working smartly in at least half of the standards

measured, as opposed to 59 in 2012.

Ismail Akhalwaya, programme manager for manage-

ment performance monitoring at the department, said

while gains were noted, there was still room for pro-

gress.

“Noted improvements are evident when comparing

the 2013 results to the 2012 results across most depart-

ments. In some areas of management however, there

has not been significant improvement.

“For national departments as a group and in seven of

the provinces, the average scores have increased since

the 2012 assessment. Free State and Mpumalanga have

declined,” he said.

Akhalwaya also said, however, that while there had

been an improvement in many standards, more than

half of all departments did not meet legal requirements

in the areas of fraud prevention, human resource (HR)

planning, payment of suppliers, and unauthorised,

wasteful and fruitless expenditure.

“The National Treasury, the Department of Public Ser-

vice and Administration and the Department of Justice

and Constitutional Development need to review regu-

latory frameworks or provide additional support in ar-

eas where the majority of departments do not comply.

“Executive authorities and accounting officers should

ensure that their departments implement improve-

ment plans to reach level four for all standards.”

How departments are assessedAssessors look at four management key performance

areas (KPAs) every year namely strategic management,

governance and accountability, financial management

and HR management.

A department’s strategic management KPA looks at

its ability to manage strategic planning, annual perfor-

mance planning and how it carries out its monitoring

and evaluation functions.

Under governance and accountability, the assess-


ment covered a department’s

service delivery improvement,

whether its management struc-

tures were working, its account-

ability, ethics, internal audit, risk

management, delegations, and

governance of ICT. Whether it upheld

the Promotion of Access to Information Act

(PAIA) was also scrutinised.

Under financial management, supply chain and ex-

penditure mechanisms were assessed, and HR strat-

egies, practices and administration, management of

performance and employee relations were looked at.

Across these, departments are rated across four lev-

els, where level one represents an institution that is

non-compliant with legal and regulatory requirements

while level four means the department demonstrated

full compliance and that it was doing things smartly.

Departments that are getting it rightService delivery is at the heart of the state’s non-nego-

tiables, which is why President Jacob Zuma appointed

an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to speedily attend

to areas in government – across all three spheres – that

needed urgent attention.

One of the areas the President has spoken about a

great deal is the need for departments to pay suppli-

ers within 30 days, an area that falls under financial

management.

Failure to perform in this area negatively affects cash

flow and the sustainability of small businesses.

The Department of Social Development in the North-

ern Cape and the Department of Energy were found

to be fully compliant when it came to this area of per-

formance, which means their suppliers are smiling all

the way to the bank.

“The Northern Cape Social Development Department

through leadership commitment did not only imple-

ment effective decentralised delegations, but managed

to pay suppliers within five days,” Akhalwaya.

At the Department of Energy, buy-in from the Direc-

tor-General in driving the improvement and monitor-

ing the issue regularly via all management structures

led to improvement.

To ensure that the standard is upheld, both depart-

ments make their managers report on this performance

area frequently. Staffers who fail to comply face disci-

plinary procedures.

Another department that got a mention when it

comes to the “service delivery improvement” stand-

ard was the Department of Rural Development in the

Eastern Cape, which was found to be fully compliant,

or found to have achieved level-four compliance for

its consultation with farmers and frontline extension

workers setting service standards.

Akhalwaya said that when it came to the organi-

sational design standard, the Department of Energy

was mentioned alongside the Northern Cape Social

Development Department and achieved a level-four

(full compliance) score for taking time to implement

necessary organisation change and for ensuring there

was consultation at all times.

“The Northern Cape Social Development Department

made effective use of the Department of Public Service

and Administration Guide and Toolkit in Organisational

Design to ensure that the department was positioned

to implement its “war on poverty” programme. Foetal

alcohol syndrome had been reduced by 30 per cent

in De Aar,” he said.

When it came to the recruitment and retention stand-

ard, Akhalwaya said the Department of Communica-

tions, formerly GCIS, excelled. >>


What is Identification of Engineering Work (IDoEW)? It is engineering work reserved to be done only by persons registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). Status of the Application The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) submitted the application for IDoEW exemption on behalf of the ECSA to the Competition Commission (CC) in March 2014. The CC is currently investigating this application which entails, inter alia, consultations by the CC with any party or persons that maybe affected by the identification of work. Public consultation process Persons, parties and stakeholders that maybe affected by the identification of work are hereby invited to engage with the CC in respect of this application and its anticipated outcome. All inputs in this regard are to be submitted to the CC via by not later than 21 November 2014: Mbongiseni Ndlovu OR Tlabo Mabye [email protected] [email protected] Tel: 012 394 5165 Tel: 012 394 3403 Database for unregistered persons in the built environment In order to effectively facilitate engagement on built environment issues, the CBE invites all unregistered persons with a built environment qualification (in Architecture, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Landscape Architecture, and Property Valuation) to list themselves on the stakeholder database via [email protected] to enjoy the benefit of being:

1. Consulted by the Competition Commission on the IDoW process outlined above 2. Engaged by the CBE on the planned infrastructure roll out program of government and other built

environment issues. Submissions to this database will remain open on the CBE website until further notice.

Enquiries in respect of this notice maybe directed to: Advocate Pieter Fourie (Manager: Legal and Regulations) Tel: 012 346 3985 / 012 424 9818 e-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]

The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) is a statutory body established under the Council for the Built Environment Act (no. 43 of 2000). It is an overarching body that coordinates the six built environment Professional Councils (architecture, engineering, construction and project management, quantity surveying, landscape architecture and property valuation) for the purpose of instilling good conduct within the professions, transforming the professions and advising the South African government on built environment related issues.

CALLS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON THE APPLICATION

FOR EXEMPTION OF IDENTIFICATION OF ENGINEERING WORK (IDoEW) WITH THE COMPETITION COMMISSION (CC)

“When it comes to recruitment and retention stand-

ards, GCIS and the Northern Cape Roads and Public

Works scored at level four.

“GCIS is the only department to meet equity targets

and the only one that could fill vacancies within two

months.

“GCIS also showed good practice in conducting exit

interviews and an analysis of why staff leave,” he said.

GCIS was also found to be fully compliant (level four)

in the areas of strategic planning, management struc-

ture, audit committee, professional ethics, internal au-

dit, risk management, delegations, management and

diversity, disciplinary cases and cash flow.

It was found to be fully compliant with legal or regula-

tory requirements in the area of paying invoices within

30 days.

How departments rankedAn eagle’s view of the results showed that the Depart-

ment of Trade and Industry topped the list of depart-

ments that were fully compliant across most of the

areas that were assessed.

This includes, among other things, having good

strategic plans, monitoring and evaluation, risk man-

agement and fraud prevention, professional ethics,

management of disciplinary cases, paying suppliers

featUre

on time and cash flow.

The Departments of Science and Technology; Perfor-

mance, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation; Environ-

mental Affairs and Mineral Resources were hot on the

heels of the Department of Trade and Industry followed

by GCIS and the Departments of Tourism and Energy.

Room for improvementAkhalwaya said while there had been improvement in

many standards, it was still a matter of concern that there

were still areas where more than 50 per cent of depart-

ments did not meet legal requirements.

This included areas like HR planning, organisational

design, management of diversity, disciplinary cases, pay-

ment of suppliers, unauthorised, wasteful and fruitless

expenditure.

“The National Treasury, the Department of Public Ser-

vice and Administration and the Department of Justice

and Constitutional Development need to review regula-

tory frameworks or provide additional support in areas

where the majority of departments do not comply.

“Executive authorities and accounting officers should

ensure that their departments implement improve-

ment plans to reach level four for all standards,”

he said.


featUre

Creating jobs, attracting investment through Industrial Development ZonesThe unemployment rate in South Africa, which is around 25 per cent, demands that the country’s economy be reviewed. With government calling for the aggressive industrialisation of the economy, there is a greater need than ever for policy change to allow rapid economic growth in centres previ-ously overlooked for economic activity, writes Chris Bathembu.

At the recent unveiling of the Dube TradePort Industrial

Development Zone (IDZ), the first IDZ for Durban, Trade

and Industry Director-General Lionel October warned that

if reindustrialisation and the decentralisation of the South African

economy did not happen fast, the slow growth of recent years

might persist.

“We are suffering with slow growth and this is something that

has been concerning all of us. If we are going to industrialise our

economy and make sure it grows, we need to fast-track invest-

ment in the economy. The special economic zones is the way of

fast-tracking development,” October said.

For him, it is also crucial to ensure that the South African econo-

my is decentralised and economic activity spread out to as many

parts of the country as possible.

“Everybody will naturally locate towards the big centres like Jo-

hannesburg because it’s close to the market. Through

these IDZs we want to attract people to other areas of

the country like Durban, like Coega in Port Elizabeth,

Saldanha in the Western Cape and make sure we de-

centralise development,” said October.

The good news, however, is that the roll-out of special

economic zones (SEZs) to supplement the IDZ pro-

gramme is underway after Trade and Industry Minister

Rob Davies finalised the regulations and guidelines for

SEZs.

The Department of Trade and Industry is studying the

feasibility of a solar IDZ in Upington in the Northern

Cape. A SEZ near Harrismith in the Free State will be

proclaimed shortly. It’s expected to focus on automo-

tive, clothing and agro-processing activities.

President Jacob Zuma officially handed over an Industrial Development Zone operator licence to the Dube TradePort. He is seen here with (from left) Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Mzwandile Masina, Minister Rob Davies, KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu, eThekwini Metro Mayor James Nxumalo and Bridgete Gaza, Chairperson of the Dube TradePort.


Government believes that the success of the existing

IDZs builds a strong case for similar projects to be rolled

out across the country.

For example, the Coega, Richards Bay and East London

IDZs had together generated more than R5 billion in

investment and created nearly 70 000 direct and indi-

rect jobs. The Dube TradePort IDZ is expected to create

more than 150 000 jobs by 2060. In the same year, the

development is envisaged to contribute R5,6 billion to

the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

The Saldanha Bay IDZ has the potential to contribute

86 per cent to the gross geographic product of the

Western Cape and create in the region of 12 000 new

jobs. The IDZ is likely to attract foreign direct investment

worth approximately R9,3 billion over 25 years.

Minister Davies says the designation of SEZs will sup-

port a broader-based industrialisation growth path in

South Africa and will address some of the regulatory

and operational weaknesses identified in the IDZ pro-

gramme.

While the IDZs have recorded some major successes

- for example, operational investments worth R5 bil-

lion - some weaknesses in implementation had been

identified.

These included weak governance, lack of IDZ incen-

tives, and poor stakeholder co-ordination. The criteria

for IDZ designation were also biased towards the de-

velopment of coastal regions and ignored economic

potential in inland regions.

The SEZ Bill sought to boost private investment, both

domestic and foreign, in labour-intensive areas to in-

crease job creation, competitiveness, skills and tech-

nology transfer, and exports of beneficiated products.

“Special economic zones, of which industrial eco-

nomic zones are one form, have been shown both in

South Africa and many other countries to be useful

tools to promote industrial development, diversifica-

tion and industrial decentralisation,” Minister Davies

said in Durban.

“We looked at every way in which we can support the

greater success of these IDZ projects some of which

have languished below potential for many years. We

had to review the legislation and we decided there

was a need to broaden the scope of the legislation to

provide not just for one form of industrial development zone

but other special economic zones.”

These included free ports, free trade zones and sector de-

velopment zones built around specific industrial sectors.

Provinces, in consultation with the mooted Special Eco-

nomic Zones Board, will be required to identify special eco-

nomic zones which could be developed for better economic

activity.

Minister Davies said the department had also been con-

ducting feasibility studies for SEZs throughout the country.

These include a potential platinum SEZ in North West.

The Dube TradePort was proclaimed an IDZ in July this

year and has already attracted more than R900 million in

investments. Situated at the heart of King Shaka International

Airport, the IDZ is set to transform Kwazulu-Natal into both a

key business gateway and a noteworthy player in the global

supply chain of goods.

It’s a purpose-built estate earmarked to develop an aero-

tropolis industrial facility and leverage investment in export-

oriented manufacturing industries. Its strategic location at

King Shaka International Airport allows the IDZ to create air

connectivity for manufacturing sectors that are highly time-

sensitive. At least five business focus areas have been identi-

fied for the IDZ. They include the Dube City, Dube TradeZone,

Dube Cargo Terminal, Dube AgriZone and Dube iConnect

Minister Davies added that a study had shown that the

Dube TradePort IDZ has the potential to become a broader

SEZ when the new SEZ legislation becomes fully operational.

President Jacob Zuma described the handover of an IDZ

operator licence to the Dube TradePort Corporation as sig-

nalling a new beginning for the precinct he opened in 2012.

“Our presence here is another step forward in our work

towards creating more jobs that would alleviate poverty

amongst our people,” President Zuma said at the ceremony

at King Shaka International Airport.

He said, for government, the Dube TradePort was yet an-

other good story to tell.

“We are determined to create an environment that is in-

vestor-friendly. We will continue to improve support meas-

ures both through the special economic zones and other

development tools.”

But the people of KwaZulu-Natal would judge the success

of the new development by the manner in which it changes

their lives through job creation, said the President.


ProfiLes in LeaDershiPfeatUre Writer: Neo Semono

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has called for trans-

parency and accountability for the benefit of all people

in South Africa.

“All people in the public service are accountable and must

be transparent. They must be held accountable so that we can

improve public administration to realise a South Africa where

all people enjoy a high standard of life,” PSC Chairperson Ben

Mthembu said recently.

He was speaking at the Gauteng Stakeholder Engagement

session in Boksburg under the theme: “Living Constitutional

Values and Principles to achieve excellent Public Service and

Administration”.

The objective of the session was to evaluate the extent to

which Gauteng government departments adhere to the val-

ues and principles of Section 195 of the country’s Constitu-

tion, which deals with the basic values and principles governing

public administration. The principles include high standards of

professional ethics, responsiveness and good human resource

management among others.

Mthembu described the PSC as a knowledge-intensive organi-

sation that conducts research and makes findings and recom-

mendations. It also monitors and evaluates the performance

of the public service.

Transparency and accountability key to an improved Public Service

The PSC was established in terms of Chapter 10 of

South Africa’s Constitution.

He called on departments to take up the recommen-

dations made by the PSC and other institutions of de-

mocracy like the Auditor-General’s office.

“We believe that if departments can make use of

these, they can actually consider these recommenda-

tions and implement them; they can go a long way,”

he said.

If the recommendations were implemented, this

would result in resources being managed more effi-

ciently, effectively and economically.

“The challenge is that recommendations are made by

the PSC and the Auditor-General to help public admin-

istration to achieve values and principles. We appeal

very strongly that we need to ensure that recommen-

dations are considered,” he said.

Commissioner at the PSC, Mike Seloane, said that 79

per cent of senior managers in Gauteng generally made

their financial disclosures by the 30 April deadline an-

nually. By law, senior managers are expected to disclose

all their registerable interests to the PSC, which expects

100 per cent compliance.

Members of the Public Service Commission interact with representatives of Gauteng government departments.


Additionally, the PSC found that 33 per cent of senior

managers in the Economic Development Department

in Gauteng did remunerative work outside the depart-

ment in 2012/2013.

Departments are also compelled to report on finalised

financial misconduct cases to the PSC, among others.

Seloane said that in the 2013/14 financial year 93 cases,

involving R8,8 million were reported. In the past five

years a total of 561 finalised financial misconduct cases

worth R71,4 million were reported.

When it came to spending budgets the provincial De-

partment of Education spent 99 per cent of its budget

in 2013/14 and achieved 90 per cent of its target. “That

is a good story,” noted Seloane.

The PSC also found that audit outcomes in Gauteng

departments were improving. “The departments are

improving, because over the past four years they have

been getting unqualified audit opinions,” noted the PSC.

On the matter of payment of invoices within 30 days

only 36 per cent of creditors had been paid on time

in 2013/2014.

The PSC also found that many departments were fail-

ing to fill vacant posts within the prescribed four-month

period. This had a negative effect in the functioning of

departments.

The PSC said the main delays occurred at the stages

involving executive authority and directors-general.

Delays in security vetting and the verification of quali-

fications also played a role.

The PSC’s recommendations included the Depart-

ment of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) con-

sulting executive authorities and relevant stakeholders

before considering amending the Public Service Act

and regulations. This would assign authority for level

15 and 16 appointments to executive authorities. Di-

rectors-General would appoint people to level 14 and

more senior posts.

The PSC also noted that in recent years the Public

Service had been recruiting directors–general and

heads of department from the private sector or from

academic institutions.

Such candidates had limited or no knowledge or ex-

perience of working in the Public Service. This posed a

challenge and affected the functioning of departments.

However, the PSC said it had already engaged execu-

tive authorities on the findings and recommendations

of the reports.

“A total of 18 executive authorities at national level

have been met with to date and the initiative [has been]

warmly received. At provincial level, arrangements are

being made to engage MECs and Premiers.”

Recently, Public Service and Administration Minis-

ter Collins Chabane told the National Assembly that

planned legislation would strengthen the powers of

the PSC.

The PSC acknowledged the effort that Gauteng had

made in an attempt to improve the lives of its citizens.

Gauteng Chairperson of Committees Nomantu Rale-

hoko welcomed the PSC’s presentations.

“The Gauteng Provincial Legislature welcomes the

study conducted by the PSC,” said Chairperson Rale-

hoko.

She added that going forward the Legislature would

strengthen its relationship with the PSC.

The Gauteng Provincial Government said it appreci-

ated the efforts some departments had made to im-

prove and called on others to follow suit.

“The Premier [David Makhura] is taking the work of

chapter nine institutions seriously. A zero tolerance

[attitude] to non-compliance will be adopted. Non-

compliance is a no-no and we don’t expect govern-

ment officials to do business with government,” said

Sifiso Mkhize, Deputy Director-General for Corporate

Services in the Office of the Premier.

PSC Chairperson Ben Mthembu.


featUre Writer: Zama Mthethwa

Investing in space science and technology

No country seeking to develop a knowledge-based economy

can afford not to embrace space science and technology

(S&T).

For this reason, South Africa is investing in space S&T to improve

the competitiveness of the country’s economy and the quality of

life of South Africans.

To coordinate a national approach to the development of space

S&T in South Africa, the Department of Science and Technology (DST)

formulated the National Space Strategy in conjunction with other

relevant government departments. In 2008, Cabinet approved the

strategy, which focuses on leveraging the benefits of space S&T for

socio-economic growth and sustainable development.

Support for the country’s space S&T is growing because of nota-

ble advances in this area, as well as growing awareness about the

benefits of it.

Greater awareness has been achieved through space-related public

outreach activities such as World Space Week, which is held from 4

to 10 October each year. Led by the DST, this initiative aims to edu-

cate people about space S&T, promote the greater use of space for

sustainable socio-economic development, and get young people

excited about science and technology.

South Africa's efforts in space S&T have been boosted by a project

to build a microsatellite, carried out by Stellenbosch

University. The university developed an 81kg low-orbit-

ing Earth-observation microsatellite, SumbandilaSAT, to

demonstrate and grow the country’s technical exper-

tise. It was launched in September 2009 from Baikonur

in Kazakhstan, on a Russian Soyuz rocket.

SumbandilaSAT’s primary payload was a 6,25-m

resolution multispectral camera and a number of ex-

periments as secondary payloads, which were part of a

capacity-building initiative associated with the project.

Over a thousand images were delivered. These were

used for various purposes, including mapping burnt

areas in the Kruger National Park, where fire is part of the

natural ecology and used by SANParks to manage the

vegetation, thus promoting biodiversity and influenc-

ing the balance between grass, shrubs and big trees.

The SumbandilaSAT project produced 18 Master’s

graduates and three PhDs, and internships for nine

engineering graduates.

The DST also suppoted the satellite engineering

training programme at the Cape Peninsula University

of Technology (CPUT), under the French South Afri-


can Institute of Technology (F’Sati) programme. The

programme has registered 32 MTech and nine DTech

students, as well as seven engineering graduates.

The programme is internationally recognised as a po-

tential cube satellite technology support hub for Africa.

A cube satellite is a cube-shaped low-cost satellite of

about 10 cm3 with a mass of no more than 1,33 kg.

In 2011, the CPUT F’Sati programme hosted the First

International African CubeSat Workshop. The pro-

gramme has developed subsystems for the interna-

tional cubesat market (commercial products such as

S-band transmitters and patch antennae) and is pro-

viding ground support for international cube satellite

missions.

A key milestone was the successful launch, in Novem-

ber 2013, of a cube satellite called TshepisoSat, with a

payload aimed at providing space weather data to the

South African National Space Agency (Sansa).

Sansa was established after Cabinet approved the

South African National Space Agency Act. The legisla-

tion came about because of South Africa's increasing

reliance on space-based services.

Established in 2010, Sansa’s focus includes research

in astronomy, Earth observation, communications,

navigation and space physics, advanced scientific, en-

gineering, and technological competencies and ca-

pabilities, through human capital development and

outreach programmes, and international cooperation

in space-related activities.

The agency has provided 13 Earth-observation and

space-science end-user services and products to in-

dustry clients and partners. It was instrumental in engineering

the absorption of SunSpace staff into Denel SpaceTeq, thereby

retaining high-level expertise in South Africa.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, be-

lieves the space industry has enormous potential for growth,

and that Sansa will continue its impressive progress. Its plans

for the construction of a new South African satellite are well

advanced.

At continental level, the country is collaborating with Algeria,

Kenya and Nigeria to develop a constellation of three or more

low-earth orbiting satellites called the African Resource Man-

agement Constellation (ARMC). The aim is to use the satellites

to help African nations monitor disasters and manage their

natural resources more effectively.

The ARMC will therefore support activities such as urban

development, land use monitoring, and mapping for the sur-

veillance of climate change effects.

South Africa recognises the importance of joining global

programmes, and participates fully in the GEONETCast initia-

tive. This is a global network that allows the coordination and

integration of satellite data and information such as video

broadcasting and Earth observation imagery for sound deci-

sion-making in areas such as agriculture, climate, ecosystems,

energy, natural disasters, public health, water and weather.

Acknowledging South Africa's advances, Minister Pandor

says South Africa is recognised as a space nation but, more

specifically, as a nation investing in space S&T to improve its

citizens’ quality of life.

*Zama Mthethwa works as an account executive at the

Department of Science and Technology.


THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION HOST OFF IC IALS FROM THE B ILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION SANITA-T ION PROGRAMME AT SCHOOLS IN COFIMVABA. THE DST IS LEADING AN IN IT IAT IVE TO F IND ALTERNATIVE SANITAT ION TECHNOLOGIES FOR RURAL SCHOOLS.

DST AND BMGF PARTNER TO FIND ALTERNATIVE SANITATION TECHNOLOGY FOR RURAL SCHOOLS

Representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) sanitation programme visited schools in rural Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape to assess the area’s suitability for the piloting of new sanitation technology.

Sanitation challenges in South Africa remain, particularly in the rural areas, despite the country making significant progress since 1994 to address the sanitation backlog.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has partnered with the BMGF to tackle the country’s sanitation challenges through research, innovation and technology. The partnership has resulted in the creation of South African Sanitation Technology Demonstration Programme, which will see innovative, new-generation sanitation technologies demonstrated in South Africa.

Last month the DST hosted its BMGF partners in Cofimvaba where the piloting of new technologies will be done. The BMGF delegation included innovators, engineers, manufacturers and professors from various countries working in the sanitation field. The countries represented include Ecuador, Thailand, China and India, where similar technologies are being developed. Most of the technologies are waterless and environmentally friendly.

Officials from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Department of Water and Sanitation also attended the fact-finding visit. The DBE said the DST-BMGF partnership was important to them as poor sanitation facilities affected schools in the rural areas. They were keen to see the results of the pilots, as successful outcomes would allow the technologies to be rolled out across the country.

The fact-finding mission will also visit peri-urban areas outside East London, where the delegation observed the unsanitary conditions created by pit toilets.

Over the next three months the prototypes will be piloted in identified schools and communities in the Chris Hani District Municipality, after which their performance, social acceptance and contribution to job creation, among other things, will be evaluated.

Learning from the partnership’s demonstration initiatives will put the DST in a position to provide evidence-based advice to inform the policy decisions of the Department of Water and Sanitation, which is responsible for the delivery of sanitation services in South Africa.

The technologies that will be piloted, were developed through the Reinvent-the-Toilet-Challenge(RTTC). The RTTC Programme launched by the BMGF seeks to promote research into new generation sanitation solutions that are innovative, off the grid, affordable for poor users and sustainable.

The new technologies also incorporate new processes to the field of sanitation including: pyrolysis-the thermal decomposition of human solid waste in an oxygen-free environment to produce biochar; electrolysis-using electrical currents to break down the chemicals in human liquid waste; pasteurisation-a heat treating process which thermally sterilises human waste; and on-site membrane technology, and hydrocyclone toilet bowl technology-for the separation of solid and liquid wastes.

For more information go to

www.dst.gov.za or www.wrc.org.za


Disclosure improved but not yet 100%The Public Service Commission recently announced the fi ndings of its study into compliance with the Financial Disclosure Framework and actions taken against errant members of the senior management service (SMS). PSM takes a look at the facts and fi gures.

To prevent members of the SMS from misusing their positions

and the public resources entrusted to them, they have to

disclose their fi nancial interests to the Public Service Com-

mission (PSC) every year.

This is also done to combat bribery, corruption and a confl ict of

interest between their private interests and public responsibilities.

In 2012/13, 84 per cent of 9 427 designated employees at national

and provincial level in the SMS disclosed their fi nancial interests for

the year - up 10 per cent from 74 per cent in 2011/12.

The PSC announced this recently when it released statistical in-

formation on Monitoring Compliance with the Financial Disclosure

Framework (FDF) for 2012/13.

Disclosing interestsAt national level 81 per cent of the 5 425 members required to submit

fi nancial disclosure forms did so. At provincial level all SMS employ-

ees (100 per cent) in only three provinces – Mpumalanga, Northern

Cape and Western Cape – submitted their fi nancial disclosure forms

by the 31 May deadline.

In Limpopo 99 per cent, Gauteng 92 per cent, Eastern Cape 89 per

cent, North West 87 per cent and Free State 84 per cent, of designated

employees complied. Just 52 per cent in KwaZulu-Natal submitted

fi nancial disclosure forms. Overall, 88 per cent of the 4 003 provincial

members of the SMS disclosed their interests.

Some national and provincial departments did not submit disclo-

sure forms to the PSC by the 31 May deadline.

The PSC received 34 disclosure forms from directors-general (DGs)

of national departments. The DGs of the Departments of International

Relations and Cooperation, Justice and Constitutional Development,

Transport, Science and Technology, National Treasury, the South

African Police Service, and the Independent Police Investigative

Directorate did not submit their fi nancial disclosure forms to their

executive authorities (EAs) by the 30 April 2013 deadline and there-

fore did not comply with the FDF.

The commission found that some members of the SMS were unwill-

ing to declare their registrable interests: 1 497 fi nancial disclosure

forms were outstanding. This fi gure included people who were on

sick leave or who had been suspended. In addition,

some departments did not make a concerted eff ort to

obtain completed forms from offi cials on sick leave or

suspension. This had a negative eff ect on the integrity

of the FDF and undermined eff orts to fi ght corruption

in the Public Sector.

The PSC said 100 per cent compliance was possible if

all departments implemented the FDF fully and if EAs

took tough action against members of the SMS who

failed to comply.

The PSC relied on the Companies and Intellectual

Commission (CIPC) database in assessing senior man-

agers’ involvement in private business interests.

Role of Executive AuthoritiesThe FDF requires that designated employees disclose

their fi nancial interests to their EAs by April each year.

In turn, the EAs have to submit their disclosures to

the PSC by 31 May. The PSC studies the disclosures to

identify potential confl ict of interest and advise EAs

accordingly.

The PSC said that in the period under review the

extent to which EAs implemented the PSC’s recom-

mendations concerning SMS members who failed to

disclose their interests was poor. Some EAs did not

take action against SMS members who failed to submit

their fi nancial disclosure forms or make full disclosures

as required of them.

In total 23 offi cials (22 at provincial and one at na-

tional level) were guilty of misconduct related to non-

disclosure in 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11. During the

same period only 29 EAs out of a total of 25 national

and 75 provincial departments reported back to the

PSC in terms of Regulation G.4 of the Public Service

Regulation.

Almost all EAs who reported back were satisfi ed with

employees’ explanations such as companies being


dormant, deregistered by the CIPC or not registered in

their name. Some employees said they had resigned as

directors but that CIPC records had not been updated.

Offi cials found guilty of misconduct were sanctioned

by means of written warnings. In some instances desig-

nated employees had submitted their disclosures but

their EAs had failed to submit the forms.

100 per cent compliance requiredThe PSC found that there were departments that had

improved on the submission of fi nancial disclosure

forms by the due date, from 49 per cent in 2008/09

to 84 per cent in 2012/13. However, this was not ad-

equate: 100 per cent compliance was

expected of all departments.

What has to be disclosed and why? Private interests should not interfere

with public duties, therefore all mem-

bers of the SMS have to disclose things

such as:

• shares and other fi nancial interests

in private or public companies and

other corporate entities recognised

by law

• directorships and partnerships

• remunerated work outside the pub-

lic service

• consultancies and retainerships

• sponsorships

• gifts and hospitality from a source other than a family

member

• ownership and other interests in land and property,

whether inside or outside the Republic of South Af-

rica.

All companies, including dormant and non-profi t com-

panies, have to be disclosed as well as companies for

which senior managers carry out non-remunerated

work.

Other remunerated workIn September 2014 the Governance and Administration

Cluster announced that a determination on performing

other remunerative work outside the Public Service

had been drafted and submitted for legal opinion.

The determination introduces a structured administrative process

leading to a decision by the EA or his or her delegate. Approval to do

other remunerative work is subject to the individual or entity not doing

business with the state and approval is for only one year.

The cluster also announced that regulatory amendments were being

considered to strengthen ethics and integrity management in the Public

Service such as amendments to the Public Service Regulations and the

Public Administration Management Bill.

E-Disclosure systemSubmitting disclosure forms is being made easier by the roll-out of

the E-Disclosure system that started in April this year. This web-based

system uses modern technology and intelligent

fi nancial systems to help prevent corruption and

maladministration in the Public Service.

It enables senior managers to declare their

fi nancial interests electronically. By July 2014,

77 per cent of senior managers had used the

E-Disclosure system. The disclosure form can be

obtained online at http://www.gov.za/forms/

index.html.

In the past, designated employees had to sub-

mit their original completed forms to their EA

who, in turn, had to submit a copy of the form

to the PSC by 31 May of that year. In the case of

designated employees appointed after 1 April

the form had to be submitted to the PSC within

30 days of it being submitted to the EA.

Who accesses disclosed information?Under normal circumstances only the EA, the PSC and those acting on

their behalf have access to the disclosed information. They have to liaise

with the designated employee if they are concerned about a possible

confl ict of interest. Only the relevant EA may grant a waiver if a confl ict of

interest is evident. Such a waiver has to be attached to the original form.

Except when ordered by a court, nobody who has access to the infor-

mation may disclose it. Access to the information may only be given in

terms of Section 11 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000.

More informationDesignated employees who have questions about the form and Chapter

3 of the Public Service Regulations should contact the Directorate: Senior

Management Service, Department of Public Service and Administration

on 012 314 7395.

The cluster also

announced that

regulatory amendments

were being considered

to strengthen ethics and

integrity management in

the Public Service such as

amendments to the Public

Service Regulations

(especially Chapter 2) and

the Public Administration

Management Bill.


finanCiaL fitness

Research has revealed that Public Sector employees like to

spend. They like the feeling of splashing out, the thrill of

buying the new, and the fun of

clutching a handful of glamorous shop-

ping bags.

In fact, they like spending so much

that their levels of debt are much higher

than those of their colleagues in the pri-

vate sector.

Statistics indicate that 52 per cent

of public employees have credit cards

compared to 28 per cent of private sec-

tor employees. In addition, 78 per cent of

government employees own store cards

as opposed to the 63 per cent of private

sector employees who do.

When it comes to personal loans and

hire purchase, 35 per cent of state em-

ployees are in debt compared to 18 per

cent of private sector employees.

This is one of the key research fi nd-

ings of the latest update of the Old Mu-

tual Savings and Investment Monitor

(OMSIM), which takes the pulse of the

fi nancial health of working metropolitan

South Africans.

Lynette Nicholson, chief researcher at

Old Mutual, says that the latest OMSIM

fi gures also show that Public Sector employees are in deeper debt

than two years ago. Credit card debt increased from 42 per cent

in 2012 to 52 per cent in 2014, store card debt increased from

63 per cent to 78 per cent and personal loans nearly doubled,

from 18 per cent to 35 per cent.

Public servants’ spending habits revealed

Furthermore, 36 per cent of Public Sector employees

describe themselves as being part of the Sandwich

Generation, which means

they are supporting chil-

dren as well as dependent

parents.

Stokvel contributions are

growing steadily and indi-

cate that Public Sector em-

ployees are trying to plan

ahead. More than 88 per

cent of respondents who

contribute to stokvels say

they want to learn more

about how to save money.

“The Public Sector’s per-

sonal debt is a major cause

for concern, especially when

viewed in the context of the

rising consumer price index

(CPI), which monitors the

cost of living, including food

and transport costs,” says Ni-

cholson.

“Financial trouble causes

immense stress and can

harm your health, your re-

lationships, your work per-

formance and your family’s wellbeing. That’s why it’s

very important to get good fi nancial advice as soon

as possible,” she adds.

Source: Old Mutual

How to improve your fi nancial health:• Draw up a monthly budget of your

spending (and savings) habits so that

you get to underst and yourself and

your fi nances better.

• Go to your bank and arrange automatic

monthly savings deductions from your

salary so that you’re committed to sav-

ing, even if it’s only a small amount.

• Unleash the power of compound inter-

est by saving from an early age.

• Set realistic goals for what you want

your money to achieve.

• Identify and tackle the biggest threats

to building wealth (for example your

credit card, a personal loan, too many

trips to the mall, luxuries you really

don’t need).

• Remember to start with the debts that

carry the highest rates of interest when

you are paying off debts.

• Consult a fi nancial adviser.


Lesetja KganyagoGovernor: South African Reserve Bank Lesetja Kganyago has been Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve

Bank (SARB) since May 2011. In that role he was responsible for various areas

including research, fi nancial stability, risk management and compliance; and

the SARB College. He was also responsible for bank supervision, fi nancial regu-

latory reform and fi nancial surveillance.

He holds among other qualifi cations, a Master of Science degree in Develop-

ment Economics from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African

Studies and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting and Economics

from the University of South Africa.

He has extensive experience in fi nancial markets and is highly regarded for

his knowledge and expertise of the South African and global fi nancial systems.

Kganyago has wide-ranging experience in macro-economic policy formula-

tion, fi nancial sector policy, public fi nance, international fi nance, public debt

management and fi nancial markets.

Coupled with this is the experience he gained from serving in government as a former Director-General of the National

Treasury from 2004. During his tenure as Director-General of the National Treasury, he successfully steered several public

fi nance and fi nancial market reforms.

He played a leading role in the fundamental reform of the micro-structure of domestic bond markets, including reforms

to the auction system and introduction of new fi nancial instruments such as infl ation-linked bonds and buy-backs.

Kganyago also led South Africa’s technical team to various G-20 Ministers of Finance and Governors meetings and Summits

(including the inaugural Summit in 2008). He is well respected in international forums for having chaired the Development

Committee Deputies, the G-20 Working Group on IMF governance reform and was also the vice-chair of the Financial Stabil-

ity Board’s Standing Committee on Implementation Standards for a period of four years.

PUBLiC seCtor aPPointMents

Compiled by: Mduduzi Tshabangu

Makgale MohlalaDivisional Manager, Cartels Division: Competition Commission Makgale Mohlala is the former Acting Divisional Manager in the Cartels divi-

sion. He led a team of investigators that probed some of the Commission’s

major cases including the cement cartel and the investigation of collusion in

the construction cartel.

He holds a BProc degree from Vista University, LLM in Corporate Law from

the University of Pretoria and is currently enrolled for an MBL with the Uni-

versity of South Africa.

Mohlala joined the Commission as a graduate trainee at the Mergers and

Acquisitions division in 2000 and worked his way up until he was appointed

Principal Merger Analyst in 2008. In 2009, He was transferred to the Enforce-

ment and Exemptions division to establish the then Cartels unit. He established

and led the Cartels unit from 2009 to 2011 when it became a stand-alone

division and continued to serve in the division as a Principal Cartel Investiga-

tor until his current appointment.

The Cartels division’s core functions are to investigate cartel complaints and

administer the corporate leniency policy.


5. One item of clothing you can’t live with-

out? Rubicon Clothing's bonded lace shift

dress. It is an ‘investment’ piece.

6. What is your shopping addiction? I love

scents and jewellery.

7. What is your best buy ever? I have a cou-

ple of them including belts, bags, shoes and

a blue outfi t I bought from Fundudzi by Craig

Jacobs, a local clothing brand.

8. What are the five staple items that all

women should have in their closets?

White cotton shirt, textured (brocade, bond-

ed lace or guipure lace) calf length pencil

skirt, classic swing skirt, textured (brocade,

bonded lace or guipure lace) calf length shift

dress and a classic blouse.

9. What should we look out for this com-

ing season in the world of fashion?

Safari, ginghams and bold fl ower prints.

10. Which local celebrities do you enjoy

dressing? Carol Tshabalala, Vaylen Kirtley,

Nambitha Mpulwana and Jen Su.

Nengovhela's fashion favourites:

1. What are the biggest trends this season? Faux fur, clean lines

and cocoon silhouettes.

2. Who is your style icon? The late Grace Kelly.

3. What is your most extravagant buy to date? I love investment

pieces. From bags, shoes and jewellery. My latest buy is pearls from

the Xiamen Island in China that I bought on a break while studying

a clothing and textile course in Fuzhou.

4. Where is your favourite shopping spot locally? I shop any-

where I fi nd products that speak to me. One needs to explore

to be enticed.

Faux fur, clean lines

I love investment

pieces. From bags, shoes and jewellery. My latest buy is pearls from

the Xiamen Island in China that I bought on a break while studying

I shop any-


heaLth anD WeLL-Being Compiled by: Noluthando Mkhize

What you need to know about

About 347 million people across the world have

diabetes, according to the World Health Organisation.

With World Diabetes Day commemorated on

14 November, PSM arms you with information to manage

diabetes better.

What is diabetes?Diabetes is a condition where a person has a high blood

sugar or glucose level.

It develops when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin.

Without insulin the body cannot get the energy it needs

from food.

Normally, a gland called the pancreas makes insulin, which

carries the sugar in the blood into the cells. With diabetes,

the pancreas fails to supply enough insulin, or the insulin

doesn’t work properly.

Types of diabetesThere are two major types of diabetes: Type I, commonly

called juvenile diabetes, and Type II, commonly called adult

on-set diabetes. Both have similar symptoms but very dif-

ferent causes.

Type I diabetes, usually diagnosed in childhood, is a dis-

ease where the body’s own immune system attacks and kills

t h e cells in the pancreas which produce insulin.

This leaves the body without insu-

lin, and unable to regulate its

blood sugar levels.

Type II diabetes is a disease that results when the

body’s cells become resistant to insulin. In Type II dia-

betes, unlike in Type I, insulin is still produced by the

body but it isn't used appropriately.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• Frequent thirst.

• Constant tiredness.

• Frequent urination.

• Weight loss.

• Itching.

• Blurred vision

Anyone can get diabetes. Being overweight and hav-

ing a family history of diabetes increases the risk.

Depending on the type and severity of the diabetes,

it can be treated with diet plus exercise or with diet,

exercise and medication. Medication may be insulin

injections, tablets or both.

The good news is that having diabetes does not mean

the end of a normal healthy life. You need to accept

that you have the condition and then learn how to

manage it.

Management and control of blood sugar is very im-

portant as it prevents or reduces the risk of developing

the complications of the disease.

The abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglyce-

mia) can diseases related on the kidney, eye and heart,

among others. Without proper management it can lead

to blindness and amputation.

A healthy diet is the foundation for good blood sugar

control in any type of diabetes, even without medica-

tion in some cases. Whether you are being treated with

insulin injections or tablets, you still need to follow a

sensible diet.

Regular exercise of between three and four times a

week for 20-50 minutes is necessary for good health.

This includes:

• Walking up and/or down a fl ight of stairs instead of

taking the lift.

• Walking to the shops instead of taking a car.

• 50 –100 skips a day with a skipping rope.

Source: KwaZulu-Natal Health Department.


BooK reVieWsCompiler: Maselaelo Seshotli

SNAKES IN SUITS: When Corporate Psychopaths Go To WorkWriter: Paul Babiak and Robert D. HareIn this book, corporate psychologist Paul Babiak and psychopathy expert Robert Hare

zoom in on the psychopath’s role in modern corporations.

Snakes in Suits lays bare the psychopath’s secrets, explains how they manipulate and

mislead, and tells readers how to look beyond their games.

It is a scientifi c look at how psychopaths work in the corporate environment.

By sharing the situations they have encountered, the authors give readers insight

into what it is like to work with a corporate psychopath.

The aim is to help readers understand what makes psychopaths tick and what be-

haviour should be scrutinised to gain clues about their true nature.

Thinking Fast and Slow Writer: Daniel Kahneman

In Thinking Fast and Slow, Kahneman aims to present a view of how the mind works

and draws on recent developments in cognitive and social psychology.

The book takes the reader on a journey through the mind and explains the two

systems that drive the way we think.

System 1 is explained as fast, intuitive and emotional, while System 2 is slower,

thoughtful and logical.

The book off ers practical and interesting insight into how choices are made in both

our business and personal lives. It also shares tips on techniques that can be used to

guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble.

Preferences for the decisions we make can be understood only by knowing how the

two systems shape our judgments and decisions.

Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuition and how we can tap

into the benefi ts of slow thinking

Leaders Eat Last Writer: Simon SinekWhen US Marines gather to eat, the most junior are served fi rst while the most senior eat last.

This is a refl ection of the price of leadership – being prepared to place the needs of oth-

ers above your own.

In Leaders Eat Last, Sinek highlights the need for leaders to know and truly care for those

they are placed in charge of.

He illustrates that organisations in which the leadership does not create a people-centred

environment may do well for a brief period but will eventually take a knock.

Those organisations that value people prosper over the long term in good and bad periods.

Sinek presents his ideas with fascinating true stories from the military, government, manu-

facturing and investment banking, among others.

He argues that leaders who are willing to eat last reap the rewards in the form of loyal

colleagues who will go all out to realise the vision.


traVeL Writer: Albert PulePhotographer: Phil Magakoe

traVeL

His small brownish eyes pierce through the thick bushes. His

ears are spread wide in an attentive position and his thick

blood vessels visible from a distance.

He fl aps his ears with his gigantic head bowed and charges to-

wards the group of tourists, while sniffi ng the ground and squeal-

ing – a sound that covers a distance of more than 20 kilometres.

Before he reaches the group he stops and then walks slowly

across the road, almost as if he is enjoying the attention and click-

ing of cameras.

On the other side of the road, a large female elephant watches

the performance of the young bull.

She nods her approval and the two disappear into the thick bush

of the Kruger National Park (KNP).

The tour guide tells us we almost witnessed a rare occasion of a

young male elephant mating with his counterpart.

“He is angry that we disturbed him that’s why he was fl apping

his ears and walking like that. He is trying to send us a message,”

explains our tour guide Joseph Ndlovu.

It is the fi rst time I have set foot in a game reserve when I witness

the interaction between the elephants.

I did not know what to expect from the KNP, having only seen

its beauty on television, but I was happy to be in Africa’s premiere

wild life destination.

The KNP was established in 1898 to pro-

tect the wildlife of the

South African lowveld.

Covering more than

2 million hectares, the

KNP is a world leader in

advanced environmental management techniques

and policies.

Our trip to KNP started on a Monday with the launch

of scheduled fl ights to Skukuza Airport, followed by a

presentation on scientifi c methods of fi ghting rhino

poaching.

Make no mistake, rhino poaching is a serious problem

facing the country. But government and South African

National Parks (SANParks) are working hard to deal with

the challenge.

The highlight of the trip came when the group trav-

elled in an Open Safari Vehicle (OSV) from the Skukuza

Airport to Letaba Rest camp.

After spotting the elephant I am eager to spot the

remaining four members of the Big Five family.

After driving for two hours, we are 20 kilometres from

camp when the OSV suddenly comes to a halt.

“Look at that, that’s a majestic beast,” says Ndlovu as

he points to a white rhino.

“This beast is the third largest land mammal.”

It’s huge and hefty. Bulls weigh up to 2 000 kg and

are larger than cows which weigh up to 1 800 kg. The

grey skin is almost hairless. White rhinos also have a

hump on the neck.

We also come across a herd of buff alo walking from a

drinking hole as we drive to camp to refresh and enjoy

an evening boma braai.

The next day started with a breakfast at the Letaba

Restaurant and then it was time for another game drive

Up close with the Big Five

wild life destination.

The KNP was established in 1898 to pro-

tect the wildlife of the

2 million hectares, the

KNP is a world leader in


to view a carcass of a poached rhino.

After a 45 minute drive, we come across the fi rst sign

that the carcass is nearby.

Above the blue sky, vultures are circling and some

descend on the smelly carcass. The second clue is the

smell of rotting meat. Eventually, we come across a

large grey boulder sized lump - the dead rhino under

a tree.

“Four shots were reported on yesterday at 18h05 from

the camp, so we had an exact time of death,” says Sec-

tion Ranger Richard Sowry.

Sowry is responsible for a part of Kruger National

Park known as Kingfi sherspruit, which covers just over

95 000 hectares.

As we move closer to the carcass, he can tell how it

was killed.

“Look, it has gone straight down on its back legs with

the front legs folded neatly under it, we know it died

on the spot from a head or a heart shot.”

Sowry is accompanied by SANParks Environmental

Crime Investigation Chief Kobus de Wet and Forensic

Rhino Specialist Warrant Offi cer Linda Luthor from the

South African Police Service.

The three are at the scene to collect DNA samples of

the rhino in the hope of linking it to a suspect.

Sowry says earlier this year, a man was arrested in

Singapore and his DNA was linked to a poached rhino.

A water bottle lid is found next to the carcass. Luthor

tells us it could provide valuable clues because it might

contain fi ngerprints of the suspected poacher.

South Africa holds 80 per cent of the rhino population

on the African continent. Since the beginning of the

year, South Africa has lost over 618 rhinos. The KNP has

been the hardest hit with more than 400 of its rhinos

poached.

After a draining day spent viewing the carcass of the

rhino, we head to Satara Rest Camp to prepare for In-

ternational Ranger Day.

KNP rangers took centre stage as government and

SANParks celebrated International Ranger Day, honour-

ing and commemorating the work done by rangers,

who often risk their lives to protect animals and the

wildlife.

The event was held for the seventh time in honour of

rangers who lost their lives in the battle against poach-

ers and other environmental crimes.

What you need to know about the KNP

The KNP offers its visitors up close and personal nature

experiences with a variety of activities. Whether it is driv-

ing, biking, hiking or walking that you want to do, KNP has

something for you.

Experienced, professional and armed guides act as trail

leaders and interpret the natural surroundings at regular in-

tervals, to make the most of guided activity.

5 Things to see at KNP

• The Big Five – Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard, Lion and

Rhino.

• The Little Five – Buffalo Weaver, Elephant Shrew, Leopard

Tortoise, Ant Lion and Rhino Beetle.

• Birding Big Six– Ground Hornbill, Kori Bustard, Lap-

pet- faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Pel’s Fishing Owl and

Saddle-bill Stork.

• Five Trees – Baobab, Fever Tree, Knob Thorn, Marula,

Mopane.

• Natural/Cultural Features – Letaba Elephant Museum,

Jock of the Bushveld Route, Albasini Ruins, Masorini

Ruins, Stevenson Hamilton Memorial Library, Thulamela.

For more information go to www.sanparks.org.za

After the event, I’m tired, bruised and battered from traversing the

terrain of the KNP, but I’m happy that for the fi rst time in my life, I saw

three members of the Big Five.


Compiler: Ashref IsmailCar reVieWs Car reVieWs

Jaguar XE – a new take on sports saloonsThe rear-drive Jaguar XE redefi nes the concept of the

sports saloon thanks to its advanced lightweight

construction, streamlined styling, luxurious interior,

and outstanding ride and handling.

The Jaguar XE was revealed to the world during a star-

studded event held at Earl’s Court, London.

The XE will go on sale in 2015 with the high-performance

S-model at the top of the range.

The XE S rewards drivers with the responsiveness and

refi nement of its supercharged 3.0 litre V6. Generating

250kW and 450Nm of torque, this high-revving engine

is linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission with

paddle shift controls, giving the driver immediate access

to the vehicle’s incredible reserves of power. Accelerating

to 96.5km/h in just 4.9 seconds, the XE S has an electroni-

cally limited maximum speed of 250km/h.

The aluminium-intensive Jaguar XE is the fi rst model de-

veloped from Jaguar Land Rover’s new modular vehicle

architecture and will set the standard for driving dynamics

in the mid-size segment. The long wheelbase and low seat-

ing position enable perfect proportions and a streamlined,

coupé-like profi le.

The XE S will be joined by other models powered by

highly effi cient 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol and diesel

engines matched to smooth-shifting six-speed manual

and eight-speed automatic transmissions. The diesels –

part of Jaguar’s all-new Ingenium engine family – pro-

vide exemplary fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from

3.77l/100km and 99g/km.

The XE is also the lightest, stiff est and most aerodynamic

Jaguar saloon ever built. It is also the fi rst Jaguar to be

equipped with electric power steering, tuned to provide

exceptional responsiveness and feel but with lower energy

consumption than hydraulic systems.

The XE completes the Jaguar saloon car range sitting

below the XF and XJ models.

Front-and-rear-seat occupants enjoy generous amounts of

head and legroom – the XE proves that sleek, streamlined styl-

ing and interior space need not be mutually exclusive. Techni-

cal fabrics, fi ne-grain leathers and details such as contrasting

twin-needle stitching all give the cabin a bespoke quality. The

choice of gloss black, textured aluminium, and contemporary

wood veneers enhance the luxurious, handcrafted feel.

Jaguar is more experienced in the use of aluminium construc-

tion than any other vehicle manufacturer. The unrivalled exper-

tise in working with this lightweight material has culminated in

the revolutionary body structure of the new XE.

The new XE has been engineered to meet the most stringent

crash test legislation worldwide and is expected to achieve the

maximum 5-star Euro NCAP rating.

Active safety: Intelligent technologies to support the driverThe new XE’s light, stiff body structure has been engineered to

meet the most demanding legislative and consumer crash-test

requirements worldwide. Complementing the outstanding lev-

els of protection it off ers is a suite of advanced driver assistance

systems designed to help and support the driver, making every


journey safer, more relaxing and enjoyable.

The XE is the first car in the world to be equipped with All

Surface Progress Control (ASPC). This all-new system, devel-

oped with the input of decades of Jaguar Land Rover expe-

rience in off-road traction systems, works like a low-speed

cruise control. ASPC functions between 3.6km/h and 30km/h.

By precisely controlling the brake system and the powertrain

it delivers optimum traction in the most slippery conditions

without skidding or the driver using the pedals.

Jaguar is one of the first manufacturers in the segment to

use stereo-camera technology. This state-of-the-art sensor is

the ‘eyes’ of the XE’s autonomous emergency braking system,

providing highly accurate measurements of speed and dis-

tance of objects ahead, and can initiate full braking to avoid

or mitigate a collision.

The stereo camera performs traffic sign recognition and lane

departure warning functions too. The XE also offers systems

such as adaptive cruise control, closing vehicle sensing, blind-

spot monitoring, semi-automated parallel and bay parking,

and reverse traffic detection.

The XE’s all-new InControl infotainment system offers the

latest technologies to connect car, driver and the outside

world. At its heart is an eight-inch touchscreen featuring a clear,

intuitive graphical interface and fast response times.

Voice control using plain speech gives access to any level of

the system, without navigating through menus, so drivers can

keep their eyes on the road. InControl’s SD card-based naviga-

tion allows easy upgrades of map data. The system also supports

Bluetooth, audio streaming and USB connectivity.

The car functions as a Wi-Fi hotspot, enabling multiple devices

to connect to the Internet – the vehicle antenna provides the

best possible signal.

Jaguar InControl Remote functionality allows users of iOS

and Android smartphones to connect to the car from wher-

ever they are and control a range of vehicle functions. These

include seven-day timed pre-setting of the XE’s climate control

system, locking or unlocking the doors, or starting the engine.

For drivers who just want to sit back and enjoy the music, the

new XE brings Meridian audio technology to the segment for

the first time. These superb systems are the latest product of

the long-standing partnership between Jaguar and British audio

experts Meridian and were developed specifically for the new

XE. Unique algorithms guarantee the best possible sound repro-

duction and tailor the experience to the interior’s acoustics. >>


Car reVieWs

Land Rover introduces the fi rst member of the Discovery family

Land Rover unveiled the new Discovery Sport, the world’s

most versatile and capable premium compact SUV.

The fi rst member of the new Discovery family, Discovery

Sport, features 5+2 seating in a footprint no larger than existing

5-seat premium SUVs.

Discovery Sport’s progressive new design approach defi nes the

new Discovery family with optimised volume, proportions and

stance. Its design leadership combines with engineering integrity

for a dynamic profi le, the ultimate use of interior space and 5+2

seating confi gurability.

Land Rover digitally revealed the new Discovery Sport at Space-

port America in New Mexico, in the United States.

The spirit of adventure is refl ected in Discovery Sport’s interior,

which has been designed with customers at its core. It features

high-quality materials and a strong, vertical centre console graphic

to refl ect the premium design of the exterior, while the core Dis-

covery value of versatility is evident everywhere.

Storage solutions are integrated into the cabin and up to four

12V power points and six USB charging sockets can be specifi ed

for all three rows of seating, allowing multiple electronic devices

to be charged simultaneously.

A host of innovations has allowed Discovery Sport to introduce

the versatility of 5+2 seating into the premium compact SUV class

for the fi rst time. An all-new multi-link rear axle not only provides

engaging driving dynamics but also ample and fl exible cabin

space behind the second row.

Coupled with supple long-travel suspension, the innovative rear

axle also ensures that the Discovery Sport is comfortable, refi ned

and rewarding to drive on-road, while retaining the breadth of

all-terrain capability for which Land Rover is renowned.

In fact, with approach, departure and breakover angles

of 25, 31 and 21 degrees respectively, Terrain Response®

technology, and the ability to wade to 600mm, Discov-

ery Sport off ers class-leading capability in all conditions.

As with every new Land Rover, safety has been a key

priority in the development of the new Discovery Sport,

resulting in autonomous emergency braking, and a

state-of-the-art body shell featuring both ultra-high-

strength steel and lightweight aluminium.

This represents a fraction of the advanced equipment

available in Discovery Sport, which also includes an

all-new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and

tilt-and-slide row-two seating for maximum interior

confi gurability.

At launch the Discovery Sport will be equipped with

a range of four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel

engines. Both the all-alloy Si4 2.0-litre petrol engine and

the 2.2-litre turbo diesel feature high-pressure direct

injection, low-friction internal components and smart

regenerative charging for outstanding performance

and economy.

The nine-speed automatic transmission is fi tted, along

with four-wheel-drive.

Discovery Sport will be produced at Land Rover’s

award-winning manufacturing facility at Halewood,

Liverpool. It will go on sale early in 2015 alongside the

existing seven-seat Land Rover Discovery in over 170

markets worldwide.


niCe-to-haVesWriter: Nicholas Francis

1. Tom Ford Noir

A sophisticated fragrance

for the man who works hard

and plays hard. Perfect for the

boardroom or that romantic

night out. Tom Ford Noir 50ml

is available at Edgars stores.

2. Mont Blanc

Meisterstück 149

Fountain Pen

A piece of art. This

fountain pen with

deep black precious

resin, gold-plated de-

tails, handcrafted gold

nib and white star em-

blem fi nishes is Mont-

blanc’s design icon.

Mont Blanc Meister-

stück 149 Fountain

Pen is available at

Mont Blanc stores.

4. Hermès Etrivière II

If you are planning on going out and splurging on

something classic, stylish and sophisticated, the

Hermès, Etrivière II bag is just for you.

Hermès, Etrivière II is available at

www.hermes.com

3. Tag Heuer Carrera

Chronograph

Tag Heuer Carrera

Chronograph has

combined refi ne-

ment with the

spirit of sport

with a black

dial and a

polished steel

bezel. A watch

for any occasion.

Tag Heuer Carrera

Chronograph is avail-

able at Arthur Kaplan

Jeweller stores.

At Public Sector Manager magazine we know that with the fast-paced times of

today we tend to forget to stop and spoil ourselves. We have selected a few

must-have items for the manager on the go which also serves as a great stock-

ing fi ller this festive season.

For the man on the move

5. Blackberry Z3

Business on the go. This

device is well equipped

with Blackberry 10 OS

and is Android APP

compatible as well. Your

offi ce in the palm of

your hand. Bring your

photo and video col-

lection together with

your favourite tracks

with story maker

to produce an HD

movie. Blackberry Z3

is available at

Vodacom.


Windhoek Walvis Bay

Kimberley MaputoLubumbashi

Johannesburg GeorgeHoedspruit

Bloemfontein

Port Elizabeth

Richards Bay

Harare

Lusaka

Gaborone

East LondonDurban

Cape Town

You could choose other ways of getting to your holiday spot but flying with us is easy and non-stop. Flying with us is also convenient, because we fly to major destinations and smaller cities all over Southern Africa and the DRC, every day. Taking a break? Then make the most of your time off. Because we fly for you.

1015

93

17 Destinations all over Southern Africa, non-stop.

Visit www.flyexpress.aero for domestic flights to Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, East London, Nelspruit, Kimberley, Hoedspruit, George, Johannesburg, Richards Bay, Cape Town, Durban, Pietermaritzburg and regional flights to Lubumbashi, Gaborone, Windhoek, Walvis Bay, Maputo, Lusaka and Harare.

SA Express is a proud member of the SAA Voyager programme.

NOVEMBER 2014

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Investing in the futureMinister Davies on SA’s trade aspirations

Caring for the vulnerable• Promoting the rights

of people with disabilities

• 16 Days of Activism: Protecting women and children

Top TalkWe speak to Ministers:• Thulas Nxesi• Siyabonga Cwele

Documents

PSM November 2014 Issue